VZCZCXRO8246
RR RUEHQU
DE RUEHPU #0365 0551714
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 241714Z FEB 06
FM AMEMBASSY PORT AU PRINCE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2438
INFO RUEHZH/HAITI COLLECTIVE
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 0980
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 0268
RUEHQU/AMCONSUL QUEBEC 0418
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0854
RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM J2 MIAMI FL

C O N F I D E N T I A L PORT AU PRINCE 000365 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA/CAR, DRL, S/CRS 
SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD 
STATE PASS AID FOR LAC/CAR 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/23/2016 
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM PKAO EAID HA
SUBJECT: MAJORITY OF CEP PLEDGE SUPPORT FOR BERNARD 
 
Classified By: CDA Douglas Griffiths.  Reasons 1.4 b and d. 
 
¶1.  (C) Summary:  Six of nine members of Haiti's Provisional 
Electoral Council (CEP) reaffirmed their support for the 
CEP's Director General Jacques Bernard in a public letter 
February 23.  CEP president chief of staff Duchatelier told 
poloff February 22 that Jacques Bernard was indispensable for 
the successful conclusion of the electoral process and made a 
plea for the USG to encourage Bernard's return as soon as 
possible.  After Bernard's February 19 departure from Haiti 
to the US, the CEP named a three member commission to oversee 
the process in his absence focusing on the completion of vote 
tabulations for the legislative races  Acting PM told Charge 
February 22 that the IGOH could not fire the recalcitrant CEP 
counselors Duchemin and Fequiere at this late stage.  End 
Summary. 
 
¶2.  (C) Under the direction of President Max Mathurin, the 
CEP drafted a letter February 20 lauding Bernard's 
accomplishments and expressing the CEP's unequivocal support 
for Bernard.  The CEP released the letter to the media on 
February 23.  Duchemin, Fequiere, and fellow CEP member 
Gerson Richme refused to sign the letter of support. 
Duchemin told poloff that he had not been permitted to attend 
the CEP meeting wherein the drafting of the letter was 
discussed.  He claimed to have been locked out of the 
conference room along with Fequiere and Richme.  He said the 
three were presented with the letter for signature as fait 
accompli. 
 
¶3.  (C) The six CEP members who signed the letter - Mathurin, 
Benoit, Pradel, Jean, Gauthier, and  Jean-Baptiste - cited 
Bernard's honesty in overseeing the electoral operations and 
praised him for helping Haiti to get through a "difficult 
crossroads."  The counselors went on to say that accusations 
leveled against Mr. Bernard were unfounded and the work of 
those who sought to further destabilize the country.  In a 
meeting with poloff February 22, Paul Duchatellier, 
Mathurin's chief of staff, requested that the USG strongly 
encourage Bernard's return to Haiti as soon as possible to 
continue his work with the CEP and to successfully conclude 
this electoral process.  Duchatellier assured poloff of the 
majority of the CEP's unequivocal support for Bernard. 
 
¶4.  (C) In other action this week, the CEP named a three 
person commission to oversee electoral operations during 
Bernard's absence, made up of Benoit, Pradel, and Duchemin. 
The primary focus of this commission is reportedly to 
supervise the final vote tabulations for the legislative 
races.  Duchatellier told poloff that the commission was only 
intended as an interim measure pending Bernard's return to 
Haiti.  As of the evening of February 22, MINUSTAH officials 
report that 97% of the votes for both senators and deputies 
are completed.  The CEP should receive the final tallies by 
the end of February 23. 
 
¶5.  (C) Comment:  Bernard's managerial style and 
business-like attitude ruffled feathers and offended the 
already defensive egos of the most of the CEP members at one 
point or another.  However, the majority realize that it is 
only thorough Bernard's direction that the election on 
February 7 happened at all.  Duchemin's animosity, seemingly 
personal, toward Bernard is squandering the capital he gained 
as the early hero of the CEP due to his work on the voter 
registration project.  Fequiere's stand in contradiction to 
the majority of the CEP on the issue of support for Bernard, 
while disappointing, is to be expected due to his contrarian 
reputation since the inception of the electoral process. 
Richme is a follower, unfortunately he is a follower of 
Duchemin and Fequiere. We will work with our allies in the UN 
and other missions to convince the IGOH that Bernard is 
indispensable for a successful second round. End comment. 
 
GRIFFITHS