US embassy cable - 05DJIBOUTI664

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DJIBOUTI 000664 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR AF AND AF/E 
STATE ALSO PASS USAID 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/12/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, EAID, SCUL, DJ, PDEM 
SUBJECT: DJIBOUTI'S INTERIOR MINISTER ACCEPTS EMBASSY OFFER 
OF ELECTORAL ASSESSMENT 
 
 
Classified By: AMBASSADOR MARGUERITA D. RAGSDALE. 
REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D). 
 
 1. (C)  Minister of Interior Yacin Elmi Bouh has agreed to 
accept the visit of a USAID-funded team that would assess 
Djibouti's current electoral laws and plans for 
decentralization.  The approval came in his meeting July 10 
at Interior headquarters with Ambassador and Embassy 
Djibouti's USAID Representative. 
 
2. (C) The Minister explained that his government wanted to 
hold regional elections -- a first for Djibouti -- in the end 
of the December, 2005 time frame  Ambassador noted that there 
were a number of unresolved concerns about Djibouti's 
electoral system that emerged in the most recent elections in 
April for the president.  Most had been raised by the 
opposition.  It might be helpful to the process to address 
them before  regional elections.  One was the stated 
advantage of proportional representation over the current 
system of majority representation and another was accuracy of 
electoral lists.  She asked the Minister about progress in 
these areas. 
 
3. (C) The Minister said efforts were underway to update the 
electoral lists but that there may not be sufficient time to 
do so fully before regional elections. He noted plans that 
would be implemented in October to move this forward. 
However, the Minister continued, the government would surely 
satisfy this requirement in time for parliamentary elections 
in 2008.  Bouh also said proportional vs. majority 
representation was an issue currently being reviewed by the 
government. Later in the meeting, with further probing from 
USAID Director, the Minister said he did not think the issue 
of proportional representation would actually meet Djibouti's 
needs.  He explained that for Djibouti's stability, assuring 
ethnic balance in representation in electoral bodies was more 
important than assuring political party balance. 
 
4. (C) USAID Director noted that there are examples of 
countries in Africa that have been able to have proportional 
representation while maintaining the ethnic balance the 
leadership sought.  She advised the Minister of USAID's 
willingness to be of help in this and other areas.  Yet to do 
so financially, USAID would need first to complete a formal 
assessment of Djibouti's needs.  She told the Minister that a 
team could be organized to come to Djibouti before the end of 
July to do so and could complete its work within two weeks. 
This would serve to allay some of the Minister's expressed 
concerns about timing of such an assessment in view of the 
government's desire to move forward with December elections. 
She further explained that the team could take a  look as 
well at the country's overall decentralization plan and make 
specific recommendations. 
 
5. (C) After allaying his concerns about the timeline to 
complete an assessment, the Minister expressed his 
concurrence.  He also expressed a willingness to entertain 
other programs USAID might develop to support 
decentralization and training of political parties, including 
the opposition. In addition, the Minister expressed his 
willingness to support programs that would encourage a free 
and independent press in Djibouti as well as strengthen civil 
society.  Embassy notes that such programs would dovetail 
well with its Mission Program Plan goals in democratization 
and human rights. 
 
6. (C) Comment:  USAID reform programs support the Embassy's 
MPP goal in democratization.  There also appears to be 
government will for reform in the key areas noted, but deep 
wariness about the implications of reform for the ethnic 
divide that continues to impact negatively the Djiboutian 
nation. Concern expressed about the benefits of one form of 
representation over another is but one manifestation of this. 
 The government did make an effort at dialogue with the 
political opposition through its week-long decentralization 
conference (closed to the public) that ended a few days ago. 
The opposition declined to participate, as it has in other 
government-sponsored efforts at dialogue, clinging to its 
continued calls for revised electoral lists, application of 
former civil war peace accords and a myriad of other demands. 
Without a census (which we believe the government would 
ultimately agree to accept) and complete overhaul of 
electoral lists, the opposition is unlikely to be appeased. 
USG assistance with an assessment of real systemic needs is 
all the more imperative. End comment. 
RAGSDALE