US embassy cable - 05TEGUCIGALPA2254

UNCLAS TEGUCIGALPA 002254 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA/CEN, WHA/PPC, WHA/USOAS, AND DRL/PHD 
STATE PASS AID FOR LAC/CEN AND DCHA/DG 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, KDEM, HO 
SUBJECT: HONDURAN ELECTIONS: INTERNATIONAL CONSULTANTS 
EXPRESS CONCERNS ABOUT SUPREME ELECTORAL TRIBUNAL 
 
REF: Tegucigalpa 2253 and previous 
 
1. Summary:  During an October 19 meeting with EmbOffs, USAID- 
financed international election consultants working with the 
Honduran Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) expressed concerns 
about the TSE's ability to properly conduct the Honduran 
general election to be held on November 27, 2005.  However, 
the consultant said they still expected the elections to be 
held without major problems.  End Summary. 
 
2. During an October 19 meeting between PolOffs and AIDOffs, 
election consultants, and international donors at USAID in 
Tegucigalpa, five weeks before the general elections are to 
take place, Rafael Lopez Pintor, an IFES elections consultant 
assisting the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE), expressed 
concern about the TSE's lack of institutional maturity and 
development despite the recent experience of conducting 
primary elections held on February 20.  Lopez Pintor 
indicated that political gamesmanship between the parties is 
a key factor limiting the effectiveness of the TSE and its 
ability to make rapid decisions. 
 
3. Lopez Pintor said he considers the TSE administratively 
weak and lacking necessary organizational resources to 
properly conduct the upcoming general election on November 
27.  Lopez Pintor stated that the TSE needs to focus on 
improving its organizational structure, documenting 
processes, strengthening internal management controls, and 
restructuring the data center's information management 
system.  As an example, Lopez Pintor pointed out the liberal 
access unauthorized people had within the TSE workspace. 
However, for Lopez Pintor, the most alarming and critical 
issue is the unpreparedness of the data center.  With the 
election coming on November 27, the data center has still not 
yet been able to fully purge February's primary election 
data.  If this situation is not corrected by Election Day, 
there will be insufficient space to process general election 
data. 
 
4. Lopez Pintor said he also considers it urgent to employ a 
contractor to spearhead a quick vote count program that would 
allow for the announcement of preliminary results of the 
presidential race on election night.  Information technology, 
logistical, and other staff personnel have been identified, 
with the exception of the lead analyst, who would undertake a 
sampling analysis from over 1,600 polling stations.  The 
majority of consultants working with the TSE agree with Lopez 
Pintor on the critical importance of a quick count effort. 
Some have suggested a candidate to undertake this particular 
task:  Jose Alberto Murillo, Colombia's Election Registry 
Director. 
 
5. The Organization of American States (OAS) principal 
elections consultant, Fernando Lezama, said that the national 
census of new and previously unregistered voters had been 
completed and included in the final election rolls that will 
be provided to local election monitors.  Lezama further 
stated that voter domicile transfer requests (from one 
department to another) were completed with minor 
difficulties.  The deadline for citizens to change their 
residency, or domicile, in order to cast a ballot in a 
particular location has expired. 
 
6. PolOffs expressed concern to Lezama regarding the lack of 
controls at the National Registry of Persons (RNP), 
especially with regards to stolen identities.  The Liberal 
Party has complained about irregularities with more than 
10,000 forms where both the applicant's photograph was 
missing and where the applicant was not clear about his/her 
planned voting location.  PolOffs urged the OAS consultant to 
be alert to the possibility of imposters attempting to use 
the RNP to obtain false identities for the purpose of 
electoral fraud. 
 
Williard