VZCZCXRO6560
OO RUEHQU
DE RUEHPU #1246/01 2491844
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 051844Z SEP 08
FM AMEMBASSY PORT AU PRINCE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8771
INFO RUEHZH/HAITI COLLECTIVE
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 2043
RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO 0221
RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA 1821
RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO 2409
RUEHMT/AMCONSUL MONTREAL 0314
RUEHQU/AMCONSUL QUEBEC 1246
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RUCOWCV/CCGDSEVEN MIAMI FL
RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM J2 MIAMI FL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PORT AU PRINCE 001246 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA/CAR, DRL, S/CRS, INR/IAA 
SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD 
STATE PASS AID FOR LAC/CAR 
TREASURY FOR MAUREEN WAFER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL HA
SUBJECT: NEW HAITI GOVERNMENT OFFICIALLY CONFIRMED BY 
SENATE VOTE 
 
REF: A) PORT AU PRINCE 1235 B) PORT AU PRINCE 1217 
 
PORT AU PR 00001246  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. Summary:  (SBU) The Senate early September 5 voted in 
favor of the policy declaration of Prime Minister Michele 
Duvivier Pierre-Louis.  Following the positive vote in the 
Chamber of Deputies August 29, the Pierre-Louis government 
now officially takes office.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) In a marathon session lasting nearly eight hours, 
Prime Minister Michele Duvivier Pierre-Louis received a 
Senate vote of confidence in her general policy declaration 
at 2:45 AM on September 5.  The vote came after her oral 
presentation of the government's policy statement, which 
closely followed the text she had read to the Chamber August 
29 (reftel).  That was followed by Senators' critiques and 
questions.  She answered each question point by point. 
Despite the Senate currently having only 18 sitting members 
in a 30-member chamber (12 Senate seats vacant because of 
delayed elections for ten seats, plus one Senator expelled 
and one having died in office), an absolute majority of 16 
was nevertheless required.  Senate President Kely Bastien is 
prohibited by Senate regulations from voting except to break 
a tie. 
 
¶3. (SBU) The first vote came up short, with 15 in favor with 
two abstentions.  When the result was announced, the chamber 
erupted into pandemonium.  PM Pierre-Louis appeared to be in 
a state of shock.  All had expected that Fusion Senator 
Edmonde Supplice Beauzile, who has always opposed the current 
Prime Minister because of her alleged homosexuality, would 
abstain.  She did.  However, the abstention of OPL Senator 
Jean Joseph Pierre-Louis took everyone by surprise.  He had 
been one of the most vociferous critics of President Preval 
for appointing the PM and government prior to Parliament's 
vote on the government's policy statement, but had been 
expected to vote in favor of Pierre-Louis' policy statement, 
in accordance with the OPL party position. 
 
¶4. (SBU) After the first vote, Senate Vice President Andris 
Riche, also from OPL, requested an intermission and took 
Senator Pierre-Louis into a back room.  When they emerged an 
hour later, Senator Pierre-Louis declared that in the 
interest of helping the country solve its dire problems, he 
would vote for the government.  A second vote was held, and 
the PM's policy declaration received the required 16-vote 
majority.  Senator Beauzile left the chamber and did not 
vote.  Senate President Kely Bastien then declared that 
following the Senate vote and the earlier vote in the Chamber 
of Deputy in support of the government policy statement, all 
constitutional requirements had been met, and that Michele 
Duvivier Pierre-Louis could begin to lead the government. 
 
¶5.  (U) The Senate vote almost foundered on deep opposition 
in the Senate and most political parties to President 
Preval's August 24 appointment of the government before the 
Senate vote to approve the government's policy declaration 
(ref b).  At least nine Senators claimed this violated the 
constitution.  Preval refused their demand to rescind the 
decree.  He poured fuel on the fire by ordering the 
government, in a September 2 press conference held as reports 
of catastrophic flood damage to Gonaives and other cities was 
pouring in, to report to their ministries the next morning to 
begin disaster management work.  The next day, Preval backed 
away, and had his chief of staff, Fritz Longchamp, issue a 
statement that the government would not enter into office 
until the Senate had voted.  That appears to have satisfied 
most of the Senators.  Embassy is not aware whether the 
Senators were also cajoled with promises of positions they 
have long sought for their party supporters in various 
ministries. 
 
¶6.  (U) Several Senators continued to waiver until the last 
moment.  Senators began trickling into the chamber late in 
the morning, but it was not clear until the last moment 
whether all Senators would show up.  Senator Youri Latortue 
had to be ferried from his flood-damaged hometown of Gonaives 
to the capital by MINUSTAH helicopter the afternoon of the 
 
PORT AU PR 00001246  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
vote.  OPL Senators Andris Riche and Jean Joseph Pierre-Louis 
said the morning of September 4 that they might not vote for 
the Prime Minister because President Preval was trying to 
undermine Parliament and the constitution by appointing the 
Prime Minister and Cabinet before they had parliamentary 
approval.  Ambassador and Poloffs called several of these 
Senators and their party leaders in the days leading up to 
the Senate session urging them to attend the session and vote 
for the government.  Embassy argued that Haiti had been 
without a government for nearly five months, and needed one 
now to address the humanitarian crisis and all the other 
challenges.  In a last-minute twist, Union Senator Fritz 
Carlos Lebon held the session in suspense by not showing up 
until almost 5:00 PM.  When contacted by Poloff in the early 
afternoon, he was still refusing to move to the Senate but 
unwilling to explain why.  In the end, we believe it was 
other Senators and party leaders who convinced the wayward 
members to show up and vote. 
 
7 (SBU) Embassy will engage promptly with critical ministers 
in the new government to manage the consequences of the 
latest sequence of hurricanes, and to address our broader 
assistance program in health, education, and 
institution-building, including the institution of 
parliament. 
SANDERSON