US embassy cable - 05NDJAMENA1684

UNCLAS  NDJAMENA 001684 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, KDEM, Government and Biographic Reports 
SUBJECT: CHADIAN PRIME MINISTER ANNOUNCES ELECTION PLANS 
 
REF:  NDJAMENA 1649 
 
1.  (SBU)  Summary: On November 18, Chadian Prime Minister 
Pascal Yoadminadji outlined plans for the 2006 elections in 
a meeting originally billed as the installation of the 
national independent electoral commission.  Yoadminadji may 
have scuttled the installation after political opposition 
parties declined the invitation to attend.  Instead, he 
announced that the presidential elections would occur in the 
second trimester of 2006 and legislative and communal 
elections would be delayed.  Even the ruling party and its 
allies were confused over the meeting's purpose, but took 
the opportunity, as did the Prime Minister, to point to the 
opposition's boycott of the process as obstructionist. 
Finally, the Prime Minister acknowledged the electoral 
deficiencies identified in the recently released U.N. 
Development Program report, and asked international donors 
to provide technical assistance and financing to overcome 
electoral shortcomings.  End Summary. 
 
2.  (U)  On November 18, Prime Minister Pascal Yoadminadji 
called the political parties and international donors to the 
installation of the National Independent Electoral 
Commission (CENI).  The meeting was attended by the ruling 
party and its allies and international donors including 
France, the U.S., Germany, and the European Commission, 
which also represented the U.N. Development Program (UNDP). 
Opposition parties did not attend. 
 
3.  (U)  Yoadminadji, however, did not install the CENI. 
Instead, he announced that the Chadian Government was 
proceeding with presidential elections in the second 
trimester of 2006 and would soon establish the CENI. 
According to Yoadminadji, the Government places the highest 
importance on consultations and transparency.  Moreover, the 
Government wants the upcoming elections to be respected.  He 
outlined the Minister of Territorial Administration's 
attempts to undertake consultations with all the political 
parties in order to constitute the CENI.  The opposition 
parties are continuing the boycott of the process that began 
with the referendum.  Yoadminadji reiterated President 
Deby's commitment to meet with the opposition.  However, he 
stated that due to the extreme pressures on the Chadian 
Treasury, Deby is not in a financial position to meet the 
opposition's key precondition for participation: revision of 
the electoral list. 
 
4.  (U)  The Prime Minister acknowledged the weaknesses 
identified in the U.N. Development Program's recent 
assessment of the electoral process.  (Reftel) He called on 
donors to provide the financing to correct these 
deficiencies arguing that transparent, respected elections 
require technical assistance, training for electoral agents, 
and expertise to revise the electoral code. 
 
5.  (U)  Yoadminadji emphasized that the opposition refused 
to attend the meeting.  He noted that he received a letter 
from the Coalition of Parties for the Defense of the 
Constitution (CDPC) declining the invitation, which outlined 
its concerns regarding the process.  He stated that the 
opposition has "deserted the dialogue" and that Government 
cannot advance without it.  He explained that in the absence 
of good elections, the country could be plunged into chaos. 
He again called on Chad's international partners to finance 
the elections. 
 
6.  (SBU)  Concluding his formal remarks, Yoadminadji 
announced that the Government had deposited revisions to the 
electoral code at the National Assembly.  These revisions 
include extending the terms of currently serving deputies by 
one year.  This is necessary to align the deputies' 
districts with the prefectures and other changes implemented 
under the decentralization plan.  He stated that the 
Government is keeping all options open to ensure a minimum 
of consensus on the elections and again invited the 
international community to "accompany us". 
 
7.  (SBU)  Though not invited to speak, French Ambassador 
Jean-Pierre Bercot took the floor.  He noted that the 
opposition's boycott of the electoral registration for the 
referendum had been a mistake that has deprived many 
Chadians of their right to vote in the upcoming elections. 
Nonetheless, he urged the Government not to move ahead with 
the CENI without the CDPC.  He recommended that both parties 
meet face-to-face instead of exchanging letters.  He also 
stated that it is important for the Government to make every 
 
effort to correct as many of the issues with the electoral 
code and process as possible. 
 
8.  (SBU)  Yoadimnadji used Bercot's intervention to say 
that the Government cannot accept the CDPC's conditions, 
which include revision of the electoral list.  He said the 
Government is open to discussion at all times without 
limits, except financial.  Ruling party General Secretary 
Mahamat Hisseine jumped in and asked who invited the 
international community to the meeting.  The Prime Minister 
stated that the international community was invited at the 
request of the opposition.  Later, P/E officer learned that 
the opposition did not ask for the international community's 
presence.  One of the Prime Minister's advisors said that 
the Government wanted the donors to be involved in the 
process. 
 
9.  (SBU)  For its point, the CDPC is calling for 
transparent electoral census; the delineation of new 
electoral districts; a redefinition of the CENI's 
composition, rules, and functions; electoral code revisions; 
and the establishment of mechanisms to assure transparent 
elections and sanctions for those who violate them.  In a 
press communiqu, the CDPC noted their availability for 
dialogue and said that the President had requested their 
proposal for the upcoming elections during a face-to-face 
meeting on September 20.  The CDPC responded in writing on 
September 22.  Ngarba said the President had yet to respond. 
CDPC members had set a meeting up with the Prime Minister 
earlier in the day, but Yoadimnadji cancelled it. 
 
10.  (U)  In September, the CDPC called for the creation of 
a mixed committee to discuss key issues pertaining to the 
elections in its meeting with President Deby.  CDPC 
questioned the Government's ability to hold transparent 
elections given "serious uncertainties" brought on by 
military desertions from elements of Deby's own family and 
the Government's attempt to revise the oil revenue 
management law.  The CDPC believes that the Government is 
going to secretly install the CENI and is now in the process 
of looking for replacements for the six opposition party 
seats, according to CDPC spokesman Salibu Ngarba. 
 
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COMMENT 
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11.  (SBU)  The confusion over the CENI installation 
reflects general uncertainty over the upcoming electoral 
process.  As with the referendum, the Government is again 
late in its preparations for next elections.  Even if Deby 
had the political will to overcome the opposition's 
objections, a ruling party insider tells us that a free, 
fair, and transparent electoral process would require a 
significant delay and the extension of the presidential 
mandate past August 8, 2006.  Last week's postponement of 
the ruling party Congress, at which Deby would presumably be 
named a candidate for president, is another indication that 
the regime is still undecided on some of its next steps. No 
firm date for the Congress has been set. 
 
 
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