US embassy cable - 05CAIRO5591

UNCLAS CAIRO 005591 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
FOR NEA, NEA/ELA, NEA/PI 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM, KDEM, KMPI, PGOV, PREL, EG 
SUBJECT: JULY 18 MEETING OF THE EMBASSY'S INSTITUTIONS OF 
DEMOCRACY WORKING GROUP (IDWG) 
 
REF: CAIRO 5446 
 
Sensitive but unclassified.  Please protect accordingly. 
 
1.  (SBU)  Summary:  The Charge chaired the July 18 meeting 
of the Embassy's Institutions of Democracy Working Group 
(IDWG), which was attended by the USAID Director, USAID 
Democracy and Governance (D & G) staff, PAO, ECPO Counselor, 
and ECPO staff.   The meeting included discussion on 
facilitating USG-funded election assistance, a review of 
pending elections-related grants, and an update on MEPI 
Regional Director Peter Mulrean's current trip to Egypt.  End 
summary. 
 
2.  (SBU)  In discussing USG-funded assistance to support the 
upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections, USAID 
first reviewed grants (per reftel) signed June 30 to the 
National Democratic Institute ($1,000,000); the Arab Penal 
Reform Organization, a coalition of Egyptian NGOs organizing 
domestic election monitoring efforts ($246,600); and the 
International Center for Journalists ($493,350).  USAID also 
reviewed the contract ($1,300,000) signed June 30 for the 
International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES), which 
focuses on voter education, civic dialogue, and support for 
the presidential and parliamentary election commissions. 
 
3.  (SBU)  IDWG members discussed strategy for communicating 
and working with the presidential and parliamentary election 
commissions, highlighting the need to stay apprised of the 
commissions' membership and activities.  IDWG members agreed 
on the importance of developing good relationships with these 
commissions. 
 
4.  (SBU)  The IDWG also reviewed and approved pending 
elections-related grants, which are expected to be signed by 
July 30, to the International Republican Institute (IRI) 
($1,000,000), IFES ($360,000), and the Public Administration 
Research and Consultation Center (PARC) of Cairo University 
($99k).  Specifically: 
 
--IRI's activities will involve assessing the electoral 
environment (party activities, candidate platforms, and media 
coverage) and providing political parties with electorate 
survey research; 
 
--IFES' grant proposal (different from the contract signed 
June 30) focuses on disabled voter access to polling 
stations; 
 
--PARC's proposal seeks to contribute to the engagement of 
marginalized youth in the electoral and political processes, 
through promoting knowledge of democratic practices and 
processes among university-age students, including women. 
 
IDWG members agreed that these proposals would make 
significant contributions to improved democratic practices as 
Egypt gears up for presidential and legislative elections 
this fall. 
 
5.  (SBU)  ECPO staff also updated the IDWG on the visit of 
MEPI Regional Director Peter Mulrean, who had just returned 
to Cairo after productive meetings in Alexandria with 3 MEPI 
grantees and the Biblioteca Alexandrina (septel). 
 
 
Visit Embassy Cairo's Classified Website: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/cairo 
 
You can also access this site through the 
State Department's Classified SIPRNET website. 
 
JONES