VZCZCXRO4785
PP RUEHQU
DE RUEHPU #2306/01 3372238
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 032238Z DEC 06
FM AMEMBASSY PORT AU PRINCE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4817
INFO RUEHZH/HAITI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 1307
RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA PRIORITY 1142
RUEHQU/AMCONSUL QUEBEC PRIORITY 0635
RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM J2 MIAMI FL PRIORITY
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 1048

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PORT AU PRINCE 002306 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA/EX AND WHA/CAR 
S/CRS 
SOUTHCOMALSO 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 TAKE PLACE IN RELATIVE CALM 
 
 
PORT AU PR 00002306  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. (U) Summary: Voting for municipal and local candidates 
proceeded smoothly with a few hiccups.  Political party 
observers outnumbered the electorate in many voting centers 
and a small number of voters were turned away from the 
polling stations because their names did not appear on the 
voter registration lists.  However, Embassy officers reported 
relative organization at the voting centers, sufficient 
police presence, and quick resolution to potential problems 
with voter turnout seemingly lower than the second round. 
End Summary. 
 
More Observers than Voters 
 
 
¶2. (U) Embassy officers in Port-au-Prince, the North, South, 
and Artibonite Departments reported that most voting centers 
opened on time or with a minor delay this morning and were 
fully staffed with poll workers and electoral security. 
Despite readiness and overall good organization, voter 
turnout was low with a constant trickle of voters throughout 
the day.  The impoverished neighborhood of Carrefour is a 
notable exception; however, with approximately 150 people 
waiting in line and heavy police presence during the morning. 
 All eight election observation teams reported two similar 
problems: too many political party observers and confusion 
over voter registration lists. 
 
¶3. (U) At opening time, many of the polling stations were 
inundated by political party observers.  Radio Kiskeya 
reported that the CEP had registered too many observers for 
each of the centers.  As many as 12 observers for each 
political party were present at the polling stations.  In 
most instances, center managers resolved the issue without 
incident.  Some observers were asked to rotate on an hourly 
basis, others were asked to select a representative from each 
group because the size of the stations would not accommodate 
all of the observers.  By mid-day, a conoff reported that 
most of &the polling stations were crammed full of political 
party observers picking childish fights because they had no 
voters to observe.8 
 
¶4. (U) There was also some confusion over where some electors 
should vote.  In all areas where embassy officers visited 
voting centers, a few would-be voters were turned away 
because their names did not appear on the voting lists. 
According to the voters, they were able to vote in the 
previous rounds even when their names did not appear on the 
list; however, now, a voter,s name must be on the electoral 
list in order to cast his vote.  This has caused some 
frustration on the part of the voters.  (Note: While it is 
true that in the previous two rounds voters were accommodated 
at almost any polling station, this is not the case with the 
local and municipal elections because residency of the voter 
influences the ballot they will receive.  End Note.) 
 
Proactive Problem Solving 
 
 
¶5. (U) In Gonaives, three poll workers observed a fourth poll 
worker give 6 ballots to one elector.  The manager suspended 
the poll worker,s duties.  In Port-au-Prince, two political 
party observers presented falsified documents and were 
apprehended by the HNP at the request of the manager.  In 
Furcy, southwest of Port-au-Prince, the voting center manager 
replaced 30 of the 48 poll workers at the last minute.  The 
Communal Electoral Bureau (BEC) president arrived, resolved 
the situation, and the original 48 workers went to work.  In 
the Northeast department, the Alyans and Fusion candidates 
alleged that the local election officials represented a 
conflict of interest because of family ties with some 
candidates.  The CEP representative intervened and reshuffled 
the officials so that any ties that may have existed would 
not impact the election process. 
 
Security 
 
 
¶6. (U) Embassy election observers reported that MINUSTAH, the 
HNP, and electoral security were present at the majority of 
the voting centers.  The HNP were helpful in managing the 
 
PORT AU PR 00002306  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
political party observers, resolving problems with electors 
who became physically threatening when turned away by poll 
workers and with candidates loitering unnecessarily around 
the voting centers. 
 
¶7. (U) Morning radio reports stated that gang related 
shooting was heard in the district of Martissant throughout 
the night and continued throughout the morning on election 
day.  Although the gun violence was not election related, it 
likely affected voter turnout. 
 
Local Politics Turn Nasty 
 
 
¶8. (U) Poloff spoke to an L,Artibonite in Action (LAAA) 
mayoral candidate in Gonaives who had been shot in the 
stomach the evening before elections by a Lespwa candidate. 
The LAAA candidate admitted that the two men had an ongoing 
rivalry that pre-dated their candidacies. 
 
¶9. (U) In Mapou, a small southern city outside of Jacmel, the 
HNP were forced to close the polling station.  (Note: 
MINUSTAH indicated that about 30 voting centers were closed 
around the country, some temporarily, throughout the day. 
End Note.)  In this hotly contested election with a 
constituency of approximately 4,000, Lespwa and OPL 
supporters physically assaulted the other supporters and then 
attacked the polling station.  The two HNP and two UNPOL 
officers present were unable to control the crowd and the 
supporters destroyed the polling station and the ballots. 
MINUSTAH was called in but upon their arrival, tensions had 
quelled and the crowd dispersed. 
 
¶10. (U) Comment: Today,s elections proceeded with very low 
voter turnout.  No widespread incidents occurred although 
press reporting indicates a higher level of disruptive 
occurrences took place in the provinces than in 
Port-au-Prince; widespread irregularities were not present. 
End Comment. 
SANDERSON