US embassy cable - 05TEGUCIGALPA1987

UNCLAS TEGUCIGALPA 001987 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA/PPC, WHA/CEN, WHA/USOAS, AND DRL/PHD 
STATE PASS AID FOR LAC/CAM AND DCHA/DG 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, EAID, PREL, KDEM, HO 
SUBJECT:  USAID Assistance to Honduran Elections: Primary 
Assistance Successful; General Elections Funding Pending 
 
REF: Tegucigalpa 1643 
 
1. This is an action request for WHA/PCC.  Please see para. 
6. 
 
2. During the February 2005 Honduran primaries, USAID 
provided more than $1.4 million in funding, which supported: 
- $65,000 (DCHA) for technical assistance to the Honduran 
Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) to provide election experts 
to help the commission develop its strategic approaches to 
implementing the new law. 
- $216,000 (local currency trust fund) to provide advisory 
assistance to (a) the GOH and NGOs in the development of a 
national voter education program and (b) the TSE in 
implementing the elections in accordance with the new law. 
- $130,000 (ESF) to support an election assistance program 
centered on a civic education campaign (media and leaflets) 
and to promote dialogues on the role of civil society and the 
importance of political parties for democracy in Honduras. 
- $1 million (local currency funds) to the TSE in support of 
goods and services to support the electoral process and 
training to strengthen regional and local electoral bodies and 
basic poll worker skills training activities derived from the 
elections experts recommendations in the first item above. 
 
3. Of the $245,000 remaining from assistance to the 
primaries, USAID will be supporting the training of trainers 
for poll worker training activities.  These trained poll 
workers will be stationed throughout the country. 
 
4. The Embassy, led by USAID, has requested $1.6 million in 
funding to support the following initiatives for the November 
27 national elections (reftel): 
 
- Voter education will be accomplished through 70 NGOs 
throughout the country under the guidance and leadership of 
the NGO Federation of Private Organizations in Honduras 
(FOPRIDEH), as was done in the primaries of February 2005. 
This exercise is currently on hold and is critical to educate 
the Honduran public on the new electoral process since the 
congressional elections will follow a different format 
(proportional) from that of the primaries (majority), and for 
the survival of the smaller parties.  Post saw tremendous 
impact from an effective civic education campaign carried out 
through the media.  Proposed activities with these 
organizations will develop and deliver training and 
educational materials. ($500,000) 
- Past experience has identified the need for greater 
domestic monitoring, given the increased likelihood of fraud 
in a presidential election.  USAID plans to provide funding 
to train and field 10,000 domestic observers in order to 
cover all polling stations nationwide. ($450,000) 
- Additional poll worker training will be critical for 
ensuring credibility and transparency of the process.  The 
effort will require selection and training of approximately 
260,000 poll workers in 18 departmental (provincial) 
electoral tribunals, 298 municipal electoral tribunals, and 
serve as members of the 18,368 polling stations throughout 
the country. ($650,000) 
- The continued role of an international elections advisor 
will be critical, as it was during the primary elections, in 
order to promote sound and transparent decisions by the TSE. 
USAID will utilize the same advisor to continue this effective 
and influential impact on the TSE. ($123,000).  (Note: 
USAID/DCHA has agreed to provide funding to cover the costs of 
both an elections advisor and an election information systems 
integrity consultant.  End Note.) 
 
5. The fundamental premise is that everything is significantly 
behind schedule.  Backtracking from November 27 to today gives 
Post, in coordination with FOPRIDEH and the TSE, only 
approximately eight weeks to implement and coordinate a 
comprehensive media, voter education, and coordinated training 
exercise schedule throughout the country.  FOPRIDEH is waiting 
to act on critical activities with support from the Center for 
Electoral Promotion and Assistance (CAPEL).  Training 
exercises for 10,000 domestic observers and 260,000 poll 
workers need to be implemented in October.  The same must be 
done for voter education materials and media campaigns on the 
new electoral process. 
 
6. Action request for WHA/PPC: Post again requests WHA/PPC 
consideration of the request for ESF for election assistance. 
 
Williard