US embassy cable - 05KINSHASA1840

C O N F I D E N T I A L KINSHASA 001840 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/04/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, KDEM, KPKO, CG 
SUBJECT: DRC ELECTIONS UPDATE: ALMOST 20 MILLION VOTERS 
REGISTERED 
 
REF: KINSHASA 1795 
 
Classified By: PolOff CBrown, reasons 1.4 b/d. 
 
1. (U) The Independent Election Commission (CEI) has released 
the latest round of figures of voter registration in the 
Democratic Republic of Congo. Total enrollment through 
November 4 has surpassed 19.9 million. Enrollment figures by 
province are as follows: Kinshasa (2,963,101); Bas Congo 
(1,232,416); Province Orientale (3,240,121); Katanga 
(3,363,987); Kasai Occidental (1,938,574); Kasai Oriental 
(1,854,491); North Kivu (2,068,591); South Kivu (1,350,883); 
Maniema (589,922); Equateur (769,346); and Bandundu (580,672). 
 
2. (SBU) CEI operations have accelerated during the past week 
in Equateur and Bandundu, where the opening of registration 
centers had been delayed for lack of equipment and logistical 
difficulties. As of November 4, CEI reports that 859 of the 
planned 965 centers have opened in Equateur, while 649 of the 
979 planned centers in Bandundu are operating. The opening of 
over 450 centers in the past week in these two provinces 
should result in an increased level of voter registration, 
where original estimates predicted approximately 6 million 
eligible voters. Operations in Equatuer and Bandundu will 
continue until November 30. 
 
3. (U) The CEI has also announced efforts to prevent further 
delays in the enrollment process. As reported in reftel, 
several security problems have arisen due to non-payment of 
election workers. To alleviate this problem, the CEI has 
retained a private bank in Kinshasa to begin paying directly 
those workers in the coming weeks. In addition, the CEI has 
sent this week to Equateur and Bandundu additional manpower 
and resources, including several motorboats to transport 
election kits on the river systems. 
 
4. (U) The CEI also began November 1 the deployment of 
election kits for the constitutional referendum, scheduled to 
be held December 18. These kits include material such as 
ballot boxes, voting booths and training manuals for 
elections agents. These materials are being deployed, with 
the assistance of MONUC, to all the major cities in the 
country's 11 provinces. CEI officials say the distribution 
will continue until November 19 in order to reach the planned 
40,000 voting locations. 
 
5. (C) Comment: Enrollment operations are steadily 
progressing and the CEI finally appears to be overcoming at 
least some of the logistical obstacles in Equateur and 
Bandundu provinces. However, many Congolese, especially those 
in the eastern part of the country, are unaware of the coming 
referendum. Reports from the Kivus this week, as well as 
editorial cartoons in Kinshasa newspapers, indicate a general 
ignorance of what the December 18 referendum is about. The 
CEI, as well as members of Parliament and the GDRC, have as 
yet done an inadequate job of fully explaining and promoting 
the upcoming vote, which could jeopardize its passage. 
 
6. (C) In addition, the draft electoral law, which must be 
passed by Parliament after the December 18 referendum, but 
before the national elections in 2006, has not yet been sent 
to that body for its consideration. The Council of Ministers 
approved its version of the draft law October 25, but 
controversial elements remain in the draft law which might 
not be accepted in Parliament. For example, the draft 
includes a controversial provision for the appointment of 
"Senators for Life," which is intended to provide a 
government position to senior officials who may lose during 
next year's elections. Delays in the electoral law's 
transmission to Parliament shortens the timeline for adoption 
of the law and for preparations for national elections, the 
first round of which is currently scheduled for the end of 
March 2006. End Comment. 
MEECE