VZCZCXRO7381
PP RUEHQU
DE RUEHPU #1407 2341808
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 221808Z AUG 07
FM AMEMBASSY PORT AU PRINCE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6724
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RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 1616
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RUEHQU/AMCONSUL QUEBEC PRIORITY 0874
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RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 1287

UNCLAS PORT AU PRINCE 001407 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA/EX AND WHA/CAR 
S/CRS 
SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD 
STATE PASS AID FOR LAC/CAR 
INR/IAA 
WHA/EX PLEASE PASS USOAS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL KCOR KDEM HA
SUBJECT: MINISTER OF CULTURE SUBMITS RESIGNATION 
 
REF: PORT AU PRINCE 1329 
 
¶1. (U)  This message is sensitive but unclassified -- please 
protect accordingly. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Summary: Minister of Culture Daniel Elie submitted 
his resignation to President Preval on August 9 following a 
vote of no confidence against the Minister in the Chamber of 
Deputies on July 31 (reftel).  After a two-week standoff with 
Parliament over the vote, public pressure prompted Elie to 
submit his resignation.  Although Preval still appears 
unwilling to meet Parliament's demands to reshuffle the 
Cabinet, acceptance of Elie's resignation signals that he 
appears to realize that sustained tension with Parliament 
would weaken the executive and undermine his anti-corruption 
campaign.  Strident threats by the deputies to target other 
ministers with the same measure may have influenced his 
decision to concede.  End summary. 
 
¶3. (SBU)  Minister of Culture Daniel Elie submitted his 
resignation to President Preval on August 9, following a vote 
of no confidence against the minister in the Chamber of 
Deputies on July 31 (reftel).  Since the vote, public 
pressure has been mounting for Preval to dismiss Elie.  In 
open letters to President Preval and Prime Minister Alexis on 
August 4, Elie protested the decision of the Parliament and 
requested the government investigate the charges against him 
and publish the results.  This touched off a public 
constitutional debate, with political experts such as 
Myrlande Manigat publicly stating that Elie was required by 
the constitution to step down immediately. (Note: Manigat is 
a constitutional authority and leader of the opposition party 
Assembly of Progressive National Democrats. End note.) Other 
legal experts fueled the debate on the radio, proclaiming 
that Elie's resignation letter was "superfluous and 
unnecessary" since according the Constitution, it is 
obligatory to step down the moment after parliament passes a 
vote of no confidence. In such cases, they underscored, the 
president has no choice and must comply with the decision. 
 
¶4. (U)  In a widely published letter of response to Elie 
written on August 13, Preval accepted his resignation, but 
requested he remain in office to manage the Ministry's daily 
operations until a successor is designated.  He said 
furthermore that the investigation Elie demanded is underway, 
and promised the results would be published soon.  Finally, 
the President thanked Elie for his contributions to the fight 
against corruption and vowed to fight corruption of all forms 
in every area of state activity. 
 
¶5. (SBU)  The Chamber of Deputies, meanwhile, has moved on to 
a new target, threatening to pass a vote of no confidence 
against Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean Renald Clerisme. 
The deputies claim Clerisme has done nothing to fight 
corruption in his ministry. 
 
¶6. (SBU)  Comment:  Preval's initial refusal to dismiss Elie 
(reftel), in clear defiance of Parliament's demands, raised 
the possibility of a long-term standoff between the President 
and the Parliament.  Elie's resignation calms the waters for 
now, but the deputies continue to demand changes to the 
Cabinet, a move that is unlikely to warm relations between 
the executive and the parliament. 
TIGHE