VZCZCXRO8309
RR RUEHQU
DE RUEHPU #1487/01 2231553
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 111553Z AUG 06
FM AMEMBASSY PORT AU PRINCE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3784
INFO RUEHZH/HAITI COLLECTIVE
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 1180
RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA 1022
RUEHQU/AMCONSUL QUEBEC 0552
RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM J2 MIAMI FL
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0971

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PORT AU PRINCE 001487 
 
SIPDIS 
 
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 KDEM HA
SUBJECT: HAITI'S WEAK LEGISLATURE 
 
REF: PAP 1425 
 
PORT AU PR 00001487  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. Summary.  The Haitian parliament as of June 12 is in 
regular session for the first time in nearly three years. 
Hampered by inadequate facilities, lack of technical support, 
and institutional weakness, legislators have carried out 
their basic functions but have failed as yet to develop a 
legislative agenda.  Parliamentary criticism of MINUSTAH's 
response to insecurity and President Preval's conciliatory 
approach to gang-leaders resonated in the media, but so far 
the parliament has found itself in its traditional role of 
supplicant to the president.  End Summary. 
 
Parliament 101 
---------- 
 
¶2. Haiti's parliament is comprised of the senate and the 
chamber of deputies.  The senate and the chamber meet 
separately under the leadership of their individual executive 
boards, headed by their elected presidents and accompanying 
officers, and form their own committees.  When both houses 
meet jointly, the body is referred to as the national 
assembly, and presided over by the senate president.  There 
are 30 senators and 99 deputies.  Senators are elected from 
10 departments while deputies represent districts, known as 
circonscriptions. The senate, unlike the chamber, is 
permanently in session.  The senators may voluntarily adjourn 
but not during the legislative season of the chamber, which 
is the second Monday of January to the second Monday in May 
and from the second Monday in June to the second Monday in 
September. 
 
Inadequate Facilities 
---------- 
 
¶3. The "Legislative Palace" is located 150 meters across a 
park from the U.S. Embassy.  The three story white building 
dates from 1946 and allegedly once served as a restaurant. 
The parliament building houses the national assembly gallery, 
used by the chamber for its sessions, the senate gallery, a 
small diplomatic lounge, and the administrative offices of 
the deputies' leadership.  Though it has undergone several 
refurbishments, most recently immediately prior to the 
opening of this legislature, the building has few air 
conditioners and is poorly ventilated.  Cigarette smoke fills 
the hallways and employees are cramped, sitting two, 
sometimes three to a desk.  The chamber employs approximately 
165 staff, in offices covering public relations, security, 
archives, computer services, protocol, administration, and 
staff assistants to the members and the permanent committees. 
 
¶4. The senate is slightly better fixed.  The senate building 
behind the parliament has larger administrative offices and 
more meeting space.  The Preval government has turned over 
two adjacent government buildings, the former labor tribunal 
and the former government run newspaper offices.  However, 
these buildings require extensive repairs and will not be 
ready for some time.  The Presidents of the Senate and the 
Chamber of Deputies have both asked the Ambassador to donate 
the Chancery building, a stone's throw from the Parliament, 
to the legislature when we move into the NEC.  Indeed, they 
seem to believe its a done deal. 
 
¶5.  None of the parliamentarians have individual work space 
or staff.  All complain that they lack access to computers, 
printers, TVs, desks and file systems.  (Note: USAID is 
donating surplus office equipment to the parliament, a 
process that had been slowed, however, by parliament's 
inefficient administration.  End Note.)  The secretary 
general of administrative affairs complained that 
parliament's existing server does not work and employees and 
parliamentarians alike are unable to access information. 
Parliamentarians demand most often that the government 
provide them with cars, complaining they are otherwise unable 
to travel back and forth to their districts. 
 
¶6. An air of lethargy hangs over the palace on most days. 
Idle staffers lounge in the entry surrounded by unarmed 
security guards in polo shirts with embroidered &PALAIS 
SECURITY8 logos.   Individuals seeking favors or employment 
 
PORT AU PR 00001487  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
gather outside the entry and in the adjoining park waiting to 
approach parliamentarians as they enter or leave.  Political 
graffiti, including calls for Aristide,s return and support 
for police chief Andresol, remains spray-painted for days 
across the eight-foot white perimeter concrete gate. 
 
Comment 
---------- 
 
¶7. Parliament has performed its required constitutional 
duties, notably confirming Prime Minister Alexis and later 
Police Director General Andresol, with reasonable dispatch, 
but has otherwise failed to develop a legislative agenda or 
conduct much business.  Post will report septel on political 
trends within the parliament, but strong coalitions have yet 
to coalesce.  With President Preval having completely removed 
himself from a role in the L'Espwa party, the parliament's 
largest bloc is leaderless and directionless. 
Parliamentarians have found a platform in the Haitian media, 
as demonstrated by the highly publicized call by some members 
to boycott the recent visit of UNSYG Annan and the sharp 
criticism by others of President Preval's policy of dialogue 
with Port-au-Prince's criminal gangs (reftel).  Media 
coverage of the disparate views within parliament does serve 
as a useful gauge of overall public opinion.  The overall 
track record so far, however, indicates that parliament will 
in the near-term continue to play its traditional role of the 
weak second branch beholden to the executive. 
SANDERSON