VZCZCXRO7358
PP RUEHQU
DE RUEHPU #0589/01 1151742
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 241742Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY PORT AU PRINCE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8065
INFO RUEHZH/HAITI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 1897
RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA PRIORITY 1689
RUEHQU/AMCONSUL QUEBEC PRIORITY 1117
RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM J2 MIAMI FL PRIORITY
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 1495

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PORT AU PRINCE 000589 
 
SIPDIS 
 
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: DECL: 04/24/2018 
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM HA
SUBJECT: HAITIAN POLITICAL PARTIES: FORM AN INCLUSIVE NEW 
GOVERNMENT QUICKLY 
 
REF: PORT AU PRINCE 559 
 
PORT AU PR 00000589  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Janet A. Sanderson for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d ).
 
¶1. (C)  Summary: Political parties complain they were largely 
ignored by President Preval during the demonstrations of 
April 3 to 12.  Despite many of these parties being 
represented in the Alexis government, nearly all parties 
supported the vote that dismissed it, arguing that the mass 
demonstrations proved Alexis had lost the people's 
confidence.  Following the April 12 vote of no-confidence 
against Prime Minister Jacques-Edouard Alexis, parties are 
pressing their demands in the selection process on President 
Preval as he tries to form a new government.  The following 
is a survey of reactions of several major political parties 
-- OPL, Fusion, Union, and Artibonite in Action -- to the 
events of early April.  (Note:  Viewpoints of Fanmi Lavalas 
and Lespwa will be reported septel.  End note)  All party 
sources interviewed agreed on the urgent need for Preval to 
nominate a new Prime Minster so that the country can repair 
the damage to government authority and Haiti's reputation 
caused by the destructive street demonstr 
ations.  President Preval is currently consulting with the 
parties, but there is as of yet no indication of how much 
their input will sway his choice of a new Prime Minster and 
government.  End summary. 
 
OPL: Don't lose faith in Haiti! 
---------------- 
 
¶2. (C)  OPL President Edgar Leblanc told the Ambassador April 
18 that Preval should nominate a new Prime Minister quickly, 
and in doing so draw on opinions from many sectors of Haitian 
society.  OPL saw several agendas at work during the 
protests, all arising from rising food prices and general 
poverty, but also from criminal and political elements.  He 
cited GOH efforts to arrest drug traffickers, as well as 
political maneuverings by ''certain political actors,'' as 
contributing factors.  He thought that weakness of the HNP 
and MINUSTAH's limited mandate had hindered efforts to quell 
the violence.  Leblanc said earlier intervention on the part 
of Preval would have prevented much damage to property, to 
Haiti's reputation and to Preval's own political capital. 
 
¶3. (C)  OPL supported the censure of PM Alexis.  During the 
riots, it became clear that the GOH had lost the confidence 
of the people and ''no longer existed.''  The government must 
regain the confidence of the people, which would require a 
new Prime Minister.  The new Government would have to focus 
on job creation, encouraging investment, and consolidating 
state institutions.  Despite the efforts of the last two 
years, Haiti is still trapped in a transitional phase, 
according to Leblanc.  The National Strategy for Growth and 
Poverty Reduction accurately describes the steps needed in 
the short and medium term. 
 
Fusion: Heal the nation's wounds. 
----------------------- 
 
¶4. (C)  Fusion spokesperson Micha Gaillard told Poloffs 
throughout the protests that Preval did not comprehend the 
desperate hunger of the Haitian people.  Fusion supported the 
interpellation and the Senate vote that dismissed PM 
Alexis.  Gaillard argued the GOH needed new political 
leaders, with a new economic policy and a resumption of the 
national dialogue promised by Preval at the outset of his 
term.  There is a disconnect between the Haitian people and 
their leaders that needs to be mended, he said.  The new PM 
should be someone who can heal the wounds that emerged during 
the demonstrations and unite the nation.  Thus, they must be 
able to communicate effectively with everyone, from the 
hungry man on the street, to the private sector and political 
parties, to the international community.  The process of 
selecting a new Prime Minster must include diverse political 
parties, the private sector and civil society.  Gaillard 
noted that Preval had not reached out to Fusion until several 
days after the protests ended. 

Union: Bad idea, but now let's move on. 
----------------------- 
 
¶5. (C)  Union president Chavannes Jeune told Poloff in 
conversations April 11 and 14 that while the removal of PM 
Alexis was a setback for the government and the country, 
changes in the government were necessary to remedy the 
current situation.  Jeune saw a need for a rapid appointment 
of a new Prime Minister.  He expected at least five current 
ministers to remain in the Cabinet, though he could not 
speculate which ones.  He expected Union would have at least 
one Cabinet position.  (Note: Union currently holds one 
Cabinet position, the Minister of Environment.  End note.) 
Like other political parties, Union was largely ignored by 
Preval and his advisors during the heat of the protests. 
 
LAAA: It's our turn. 
--------------------- 
 
¶6. (C)  Senator Youri Latortue, leader of Artibonite in 
Action (LAAA), who ultimately helped engineer the downfall of 
PM Alexis, accurately predicted to the Canadian Ambassador 
Alexis' fall before it happened.  LAAA expects to participate 
in decisions on future governments, according to Latortue. 
(Note:  Both originally from Gonaives in the Artibonite 
Valley, PM Alexis and Senator Latortue have a longstanding, 
well-publicized political rivalry.  It was Senator Latortue 
who called for the Senate to vote on Alexis' fate in the 
April 12 Senate interpellation (reftel).  End note.) 
 
¶7. (C)  Comment:  The common message from most political 
parties is that the new government must be nominated quickly 
and be broadly inclusive.  They deem Preval's first 
''coalition government'' headed by Alexis as insufficient in 
that regard.  Nevertheless, former President Aristide's Fanmi 
Lavalas party and its offshoots continue to feel left out 
(septel).  Preval must be careful in his treatment of the 
parties, many of whom felt ignored by the President during 
the riots.  Though he has now invited most major parties to 
meet with him and express their views on the new Prime 
Minister, it is far from certain he will take their opinions 
into account when making his selection.  Parties that feel 
snubbed will be more likely to oppose the Parliament's 
approval of the next government. 
SANDERSON