VZCZCXRO6358
PP RUEHQU
DE RUEHPU #2171/01 3171448
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 131448Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY PORT AU PRINCE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4571
INFO RUEHZH/HAITI COLLECTIVE
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 1278
RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA 1115
RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM J2 MIAMI FL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PORT AU PRINCE 002171 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA/CAR 
DRL 
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: ELECTIONS UPDATE 
 
REF: A. PAP 2105 
     ¶B. PAP 1846 
 
¶1. Summary.  Elections preparations are on track and the 
Provisionary Electoral Council (CEP) is completing its 
checklist of remaining tasks, according to CEP Director 
General Jacques Bernard.  CEP has taken over the primary role 
of implementing the elections but remain in daily contact 
with MINUSTAH on logistics.  The prime minister and the 
minister of interior acknowledged the good news but stressed 
the importance of voter education and transparency.  The 
Director General of the CEP responded to these concerns, 
stating that the CEP maintained neutrality throughout the 
process and favored no political party.  Transparency has 
become a large issue on the heels of an international report 
calling Haiti the most corrupt nation in the world and a CEP 
accounting review finding irregularities in their spending. 
The pressure is on both the CEP and the executive to make 
this process open and transparent to prove to the 
international community they can enter into democracy 
autonomously.   End Summary. 
 
Election Preparations are on Schedule 
 
 
¶2. (U) Bernard reported to the Prime Minister, members of the 
Cabinet, SRSG Edmond Mulet, and the international community 
on November 7 that all electoral preparations were on 
schedule.  Bernard rattled off items that had been completed; 
voting centers, voter lists, electoral boundary limits, and 
poll worker trainer training.  All voting materials for 9 
departments had been delivered from the Dominican Republic 
and materials for the last department, the West would be 
delivered on the following Monday.  According to Bernard, all 
other remaining tasks for election day have started and he 
anticipate &no problem at all8 for the December 3 election. 
 
 
¶3. (U) SRSG Mulet agreed that everything was in place. 
MINUSTAH officers now have daily meetings with CEP officials 
regarding logistics.  This week, the CEP gave MINUSTAH the 
addresses of the 28 new voting centers and his officers were 
in the process of identifying and securing the locations. 
Mulet also reported that there was ample military presence in 
each department.  From his perspective, the only item 
remaining for MINUSTAH was coordination with the Haitian 
National Police (HNP).  Mulet planned to meet with Director 
General of the HNP Mario Andresol the following week to 
discuss HNP assistance with election day security. 
 
No Gaps in the Budget 
 
 
¶4. (U) The Canadians and Brazilians have disbursed their 
promised funds, approximately $4 million USD and exactly $1 
million USD, respectively.  The Japanese have promised 
approximately $800,000 USD after they receive an explanation 
of how the funds would be used.  And, the GoH would also 
contribute $1.5 million USD.  Together with funds from the 
USG and the EU, the $16.9 million dollar budget has been met. 
 (Note: The status of the money from the EU was not discussed 
during the Prime Minister,s meeting but it is well known 
that these funds will not be disbursed prior to the elections 
(ref A) End Note.) 
 
CEP takes on role as Chief Implementer 
 
 
¶5. (SBU) Argentinean Ambassador Ernesto Justo Lopez asked for 
clarification on the role of MINUSTAH versus the CEP during 
this round of elections.  (Note: There has been an ongoing 
tension between the Electoral Assistance Section (EAS) of 
MINUSTAH and the CEP.  EAS Director was recently given a new 
position within MINUSTAH to relieve some tensions between the 
two organizations.  However, EAS personnel remain sensitive, 
feeling sidelined from the technical aspects of the elections 
process.  (ref B) End Note.)  Mulet explained that MINUSTAH 
was no longer responsible for the technical aspects of the 
election as it had been in the previous rounds.  Bernard 
reiterated that the CEP was responsible for these elections. 
In his view, the transfer of all technical knowledge had 
already been done and that the CEP was simply assuming its 
 
PORT AU PR 00002171  002 OF 003 
 
 
proper responsibility.  Canadian Ambassador Claude Boucher 
agreed and stressed that this transfer was something that the 
international community had envisioned from the beginning, 
that the Haitians drive their own democratic process. 
 
Voter Education Urged 
 
 
¶6. (U) The Minister of Interior Paul Bien-Aime raised the 
issue of the electorate's awareness of voting centers in the 
newly defined voting zones (ref A).  According to Bien-Aime, 
a few of the political parties have complained that the 
location of the voting centers gave advantage to certain 
candidates.  Bernard acknowledged that political parties were 
complaining but responded that the CEP had selected voting 
centers that were as neutral as possible.  He told Bien-Aime 
that he could not satisfy all political parties but only 
strive for neutrality.  Parliamentarians were making demands 
for candidates in their party and there would be requests for 
changes until the last minute but the CEP would hold to its 
plan. 
 
¶7. (U) Bernard said that voters would be familiar with the 
ballots because they are similar to the ballots of the first 
two rounds.  The ballots for local and municipal elections 
will contain no candidate photos.  In place of photos, the 
names of the candidates comprising the rural administrative 
municpalities (CASEC and ASECs) will appear.  Political party 
logos, as before, would be displayed under the names. 
 
Transparency Required 
 
 
¶8. (SBU) The Prime Minister stressed the importance of 
transparency during this election.  Observers would be 
permitted but everyone, including parliamentarians and VIPs, 
must have proper identification to enter the voting areas. 
The Prime Minister, clearly concerned about public image of 
the elections, said that voter response in February was a 
display of Haitian will and that voters would not accept the 
same situation of uncertainty and lack of transparency.  He 
urged the CEP to announce the results quickly because if not, 
&it would expose the country to flare ups and other 
insecurities.8  At the same time, he expressed bemusement in 
the recent results of the Transparency International study, 
finding Haiti the most corrupt nation in the world, given 
that his government was recently installed.  Thus, they had a 
&burden8 to show &we are different.8 
 
¶9. (U) Bernard expected several groups of electoral observers 
for the local and municipal elections.  There will be a 
contingent of Canadian observers, members from the Haiti 
Democratic Project, and numerous domestic groups that had 
registered as observers. 
 
CEP Accounting Irregularities 
 
 
¶11. (U) The Superior Court of Accounts and Administrative 
Litigation published a report on November 6 concerning the 
accounting practices of the CEP.  The report stated that 
there are accounting irregularities in the disbursement of 
funds of the CEP amounting to 4 million Haitian gourdes 
(approximately $ 400,000 USD).  President Max Mathurin has 
not publicly addressed these allegations.  During the meeting 
on November 7, however, he told the Prime Minister that he 
intended to give him a full report. 
 
¶12. (SBU) Comment: Despite EAS dissatisfaction with technical 
aspects of the election, the latest corruption scandal, and 
rumors that Preval does not want local elections because they 
could ignite local violence, voters will go to the polls on 
December 3.  CEP and MINUSTAH are prepared and money is the 
UNDP coffers.  The CEP is ready to prove that they have the 
expertise to implement elections.  Transparency has become a 
large issue on the heels of an international report calling 
Haiti the most corrupt nation in the world and a CEP 
accounting review finding irregularities in their spending. 
The pressure is on both the CEP and the executive to make 
this process open and transparent to prove to the 
international community they can administer their own 
elections.  End Comment. 
 
PORT AU PR 00002171  003 OF 003 
 
 
 
 
 
TIGHE