VZCZCXRO3219
PP RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHDK #0489 0611150
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 021150Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY DAKAR
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7710
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
UNCLAS DAKAR 000489
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
STATE FOR AF/W, AF/RSA, AF/PDPA, DRL/AE AND INR/AA
PARIS FOR POL - D'ELIA
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PINS PGOV SG
SUBJECT: A COMBATIVE WADE BLAMES SECK AND MEDIA FOR NEGATIVE IMAGE
OF SENEGAL; SAYS PROSECUTIONS TO COME
SUMMARY
-------
1. (SBU) Within a few minutes of the announcement of preliminary
official results, newly reelected President Abdoulaye Wade hosted a
two-hour press conference in front of the media, his cabinet and the
entire diplomatic corps. Rather than being magnanimous in victory,
Wade blamed former Prime Minister and second-place finisher Idrissa
Seck for the negative image the media paints of Senegal. Wade
concluded the press conference by saying that Seck will not return
to being his political heir. Wade also said the judiciary had
suspended legal proceedings against Seck and other key opposition
figures to avoid detracting from the campaign, but, with the
campaign over, legal proceedings will resume. END SUMMARY.
MEDIA AND OPPOSITION TO BLAME
-----------------------------
2. (SBU) President Wade used his first post-election news
conference to come out swinging. He began by acknowledging the
serious discrepancy between what observers and the media had
predicted and the actual vote on February 25. Wade blamed national
and international media and opposition leaders for painting a very
negative image of Senegal in general and of Wade and his government
in particular. Wade noted that the incident at Dakar's Le Regal
restaurant was the only serious incident during the campaign.
Highlighting how calmly people had voted, Wade contrasted that with
the image the media and opposition had painted of a Senegal on the
verge of revolt. Wade asserted that no international newspaper
wrote honestly and objectively about Senegal in the run-up to the
election.
PROMISES, PROMISES
------------------
3. (U) Wade insisted he had kept his promises. He said democracy
in Senegal has also progressed, and he thanked youth and women for
their overwhelming support. He acknowledged the cost of living is
high, but said Senegalese like his record. He then asked for a
majority in the June 3 National Assembly elections. With Prime
Minister and campaign manager Macky Sall at his side, he said there
would be no major cabinet changes until after the legislative
elections.
CORRUPTION: WHO'S REALLY CORRUPT?
---------------------------------
4. (U) Wade then launched into what seemed to be his principal
message: he and his son are not corrupt. His government audited the
Socialist Government's accounts; he established an anti-corruption
commission; his government prosecuted and imprisoned eight treasury
inspectors for corruption; and he dismissed and brought corruption
charges against former Prime Minister and long-time ally, Idrissa
Seck. He blamed Seck for painting a negative image of Senegal at
home and abroad. Saying judicial proceedings had been dropped to
avoid distracting from the presidential campaign, Wade said new
charges are coming. Then he dropped a political bombshell, holding
up a handwritten letter from Idrissa Seck, dated December 29, 2005,
in which Seck agrees to repay 7 billion CFA francs (CFAF) (USD 14
million) in embezzled political funds following his release from
jail (which occurred in February 2006).
CORRUPTION GOES BEYOND SECK
---------------------------
5. (U) Wade then leveled old accusations against other opposition
leaders:
-- He accused Amath Dansokho, the Mayor of Kedougou of
embezzlement;
-- Wade accused former Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Moustapha
Niasse of selling passports to Chinese citizens and of illegally
buying his home on Dakar's Corniche; and
-- Wade accused Socialist party leader and third-place finisher
Tanor of having illegally sold licenses to Chinese fishermen.
COMMENT
-------
6. (SBU) Far from magnanimous in victory, President Wade made it
very clear he is tired of criticism of him and his record. He
intends to go after those who have besmirched him and his son,
Karim, and he especially intends to demonstrate that Idrissa Seck is
unfit to ever become President of Senegal.
7. (U) Visit Embassy Dakar's classified website at
http://state.sgov/p/af/dakar.
JACOBS