VZCZCXRO7029
OO RUEHQU
DE RUEHPU #0948/01 1451523
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 251523Z MAY 07
FM AMEMBASSY PORT AU PRINCE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6170
INFO RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHZH/HAITI COLLECTIVE
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 1541
RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA 1360
RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM J2 MIAMI FL
RUCOWCV/CCGDSEVEN MIAMI FL//OLE/OI//

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PORT AU PRINCE 000948 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA/CAR 
DRL 
S/CRS 
SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD 
STATE PASS AID FOR LAC/CAR 
INR/IAA (BEN-YEHUDA) 
TREASURY FOR JEFFREY LEVINE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/24/2012 
TAGS: PGOV PREL SNAR KCRM KJUS HA
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR/PM REVIEW BILATERAL AGENDA 
 
REF: PAP 893 
 
Classified By: Classified by Ambassador Janet A. Sanderson for reasons 
1.4(b) and (d). 
 
¶1. (C)  Summary.  The Ambassador on May 16 called on Prime 
Minister Alexis to discuss with him President Preval's visit 
to Washington and review other bilateral issues, including 
cooperation on money-laundering, illegal emigration, and Cite 
Soleil development.  The PM reported that Preval had 
expressed his great satisfaction with his Washington program, 
and looked forward to moving forward on the issues raised, 
particularly HOPE and narcotics cooperation.  He asked that 
the Embassy continue to coordinate the Haiti Strategic 
Initiative (HSI) with appropriate senior officials, and 
informed her that he planned to initiate Cite Soliel 
development task force among GoH officials and the donors. 
The PM echoed the Ambassador's concern over the spike in 
illegal emigration, and said the government would try to 
increase enforcement against  alien smugglers.   Alexis 
expressed dismay over parliamentary investigation into the 
death of a Gonaives judge and calls to remove the justice 
minister (reftel), opining that the attack was really 
directed against him, orchestrated by Youri Latortue. 
Despite having endured a difficult previous week in dealing 
with the charges against the justice minister and the tragedy 
in the Turks and Caicos, the Prime Minister was his usual 
business-like self and seemed focused and informed on the 
issues raised by the Ambassador.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (C)  Prime Minister Alexis relayed that Preval had told 
him that he was very pleased with his program in Washington, 
and expected an increase in attention and VIP visits to Haiti 
as a result.  He stressed that the government continued to 
focus on taking advantage of the trade preferences granted in 
the HOPE legislation, and looked forward further progress in 
anti-narcotics cooperation.  The Ambassador raised the 
planned visit of Treasury Department officials to sign an 
money-laundering cooperation agreement, and asked where the 
GoH stood.  The Prime Minster replied that officials in the 
finance and justice ministries had issues with the terms of 
reference, but had worked out alternative language that the 
GoH would share with the embassy.  The PM looked forward to 
completing the negotiations of the text and signing the 
agreement, noting that President Preval would shortly launch 
an anti-corruption initiative (septel). 
 
¶3. (C) The Ambassador expressed her sympathy for the victims 
whose boat had capsized in the Turks and Caicos, and asked 
how illegal emigration by sea could be discouraged.  The PM 
agreed that increased emigration was a concern, and said that 
the government would ask the executive representatives' 
("Delegues") Departments in the northern to form a network to 
identify the organizers and boat captains smuggling to target 
their law enforcement.  The Ambassador informed the Prime 
Minister that HSI implementation was proceeding rapidly and 
that we hoped to continue to work closely with the 
government.  The Prime Minister asked for closer coordination 
on specific projects.  He had been informed that the USG 
wished to turn an abandoned building into a police station, 
which Minister for Public Works Varrella hoped to turn into a 
community center.  To better coordinate efforts in Cite 
Soleil, he would form a task force among GoH and 
international officials.  The Ambassador welcomed the idea 
and advised the PM to keep the group small and focused. 
(Note:  The PM on May 23 hosted the kick-off meeting of that 
group.  The acting HSI coordinator and a USAID official 
represented post. End Note.) 
 
¶4.  (C)  The Ambassador noted the USG's continued interest in 
justice reform legislation, currently before the parliament, 
and hoed that the movement against the justice minster wuld 
not delay consideration of the legislation. The PM quickly 
interjected that the attacks againt the justice minister 
were in fact aimed at weaening him -- the justice minister 
simply represeted an easier target.  The justice minister 
had ccurately stated that he had not summoned deceased judge 
St. Pierre to Port-au-Prince, but that ministry officials 
probably had.  People now confused the minister with the 
ministry. In any event, Senator Youri Latortue was 
orchestrating the campaign against the government, spreading 
rumors behind the scenes that the PM had organized a 
conspiracy to kill St. Pierre who was killed in a traffic 
accident.  The PM claimed that Latortue had organized the 
demonstrators who had thrown rocks at him during his visit to 
Gonaives, the PM's hometown, to attend St. Pierre's funeral. 
One week later, a group of the PM's supporters among the 
Gonaives elite asked to meet with and relayed that the local 
police force was corrupt and controlled by Latortue.  They 
had asked to meet the PM outside of Gonaives, because they 
did not feel safe holding the meeting in the city.  As a 
result, the Prime Minster said he was working with UNPol and 
the justice ministry to remove those officers, and for UNPol 
to take a more active role in policing Gonaives. 
 
¶5.  (C) Comment.  The Prime Minister was thoroughly 
beleaguered and on the defensive the previous week over 
allegations of government involvement in St. Pierre's death 
and trying to arrange for the return of the remains of the 
deceased emigrants from the Turks and Caicos, while lurid 
allegations that Turks and Caicos authorities had purposely 
sunk their vessel inflamed public sentiment.  Still, he 
seemed focused on the issues at hand and eager to advance the 
bilateral agenda.  He was surprisingly matter-of-fact in 
revealing his concerns about Youri Latortue and admitting his 
supporters in his own home town were running somewhat scared. 
 Post will report on the political dynamic and Latortue's 
role in Gonaives septel. 
SANDERSON