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INFO RUEHZH/HAITI COLLECTIVE
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PORT AU PRINCE 000260 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA/CAR 
S/CRS 
SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD 
STATE PASS AID FOR LAC/CAR 
INR/IAA (BEN-YEHUDA) 
WHA/EX PLEASE PASS USOAS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL ASEC PKAO KDEM HA
SUBJECT: CAMPAIGN ENDS PEACEFULLY IN HAITI 
 
 
¶1. This message is sensative but unclassified; please protect 
accordingly. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Summary:  Campaigning in Haiti officially ended 
Saturday, February 4.  Presidential Charles (Charlito) Henri 
Baker was the only candidate to hold a mass rally in 
Port-au-Prince.  Front-runner Rene Preval cancelled his 
planned rally after receiving reports that infiltrators 
planned to foment violence during the event and discredit his 
campaign.   Other candidates concentrated on media interviews 
and held smaller meetings with campaign workers.  Embassy 
observers report that technically prohibited campaign 
activity continued on Sunday, including public address 
announcements from campaign cars and pamphlet distribution. 
The government,s public awareness campaign continued at full 
force through Sunday, with the private press also echoing the 
message that Haitians should exercise their right to vote. 
End summary. 
 
Charlito has a Party 
-------- 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Charles Henri Baker concluded his campaign for the 
Haitian presidency with a rally for his supporters in central 
Port-au-Prince.  Embassy observers estimated the crowd 
numbered 1,500 at its largest.  Based on conversations with 
participants, they estimated the majority of the crowd was 
drawn by the Carnival-like atmosphere that included 
best-known DJ, bands, and alcohol.  It appeared that the 
Baker campaign had paid a significant number to attend, and 
one campaign worker distributing material admitted she would 
vote for Preval.  The enthusiasm and energy of the crowd 
dissipated as Baker began his address.  Baker repeated his 
principal campaign themes - order, work, and discipline - and 
stressed the need for security.  (DCM noted that the 
candidate stressing order and discipline left a large amount 
of trash at the rally site the following morning.)  Baker 
also informed the crowd that he had just found out that he 
was number one in opinion poles. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Observers reported heavy security presence from 
MINUSTAH, Haitian Special Police, and HNP including embedded 
international civil police (Canadian and French).  The rally 
also attracted a large press contingent including National 
Public Radio, Reuters, and several Canadian journalists. 
 
Preval Confident 
---------- 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Rene Preval on February 3 cancelled what was to 
have been his final rally in Port- au-Prince the following 
day.  Preval,s campaign manager Robert Manuel told 5. 
Polcouns late on the evening of February 3 that he had 
received reports that infiltrators dressed in Preval T-shirts 
and vocally supporting Preval planned to commit acts of 
vandalism and foment violence in order to discredit the 
Preval campaign.  They had decided to cancel the rally "in 
the interest of the elections and the safety of the people." 
Preval supporters did hold an impromptu rally in 
Port-au-Prince on Saturday.  Preval met with international 
journalists on Friday and Saturday.  He told a Brazilian 
press delegation he was confident of a first round victory, 
and expected an "avalanche" of support to develop for in the 
final days, just as had happened with Aristide in 1990, and 
with himself in 1995. 
 
Campaigning widespread to the End 
--------- 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Other presidential and parliamentary candidates 
conducted smaller events throughout the country.  Candidate 
appearances dominated radio and television news through 
Saturday.  Embassy observers report that campaign activity, 
technically prohibited after Saturday, continued on Sunday. 
Campaign workers continued to hand out flyers.  Cars with 
public address systems circulated in Port-au-Prince 
neighborhoods broadcasting campaign messages.  Embassy 
Observers in Gonaives on Sunday reported that rival rallies 
in support of Leslie Manigat, who is present in Gonaives, and 
 
PORT AU PR 00000260  002 OF 002 
 
 
Luc Mesadieu attempted to occupy the same public square. 
CARNEY