VZCZCXYZ0022
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHPU #0102/01 0291346
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 291344Z JAN 10
FM AMEMBASSY PORT AU PRINCE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0285
INFO HAITI COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RHMFISS/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL IMMEDIATE
RHMFISS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEHPU/AMEMBASSY PORT AU PRINCE

UNCLAS PORT AU PRINCE 000102 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AEMR ASEC CASC KFLO MARR PREL PINR AMGT HA PGOV AID
EAID 
SUBJECT: TFHA01: EMBASSY PORT AU PRINCE EARTHQUAKE SITREP as of 1800, 
Day 15 
 
¶1.  (SBU)  Summary:  US and UN representatives continue to keep the 
Government of Haiti (GOH) apprised of coordinated relief efforts. 
President Preval publicly announced that he will not seek to extend 
his presidency beyond the scheduled end of his term.  Despite 
significant personnel losses, the Haitian National Police and local 
banks slowly begin to resume business, and the GOH aims to meet 
payroll for all civil servants with its own funds for now.  End 
summary. 
 
 
 
RELIEF COORDINATION UPDATE PRESENTED TO GOH 
 
 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  On January 27, Ambassador Merten, JTF Commander LTG 
Keen,  Unified Relief Coordinator Ambassador Lewis Lucke, and 
acting UN Special Representative Tony Banbury met to brief 
President Preval and PM Bellerive on progress of JTF and UN efforts 
to provide food and shelter.  The goal was to provide relief supply 
info to the GOH that was reliable, explain the plans for future 
supply efforts (food surge), explain plans to repair the damaged 
seaport, and demonstrate an integrated UN/US effort.  President 
Preval approved dividing the airport landing  slots by category of 
organization. He asked repeatedly about tent supplies, saying 
explicitly that he has no confidence in the NGO and UN numbers, and 
by implication, no confidence in their capacity to deliver.  He 
also raised again bringing in prefab school rooms from Broward 
County with JTF assistance.  He agreed to regular joint UN/US 
coordination briefings and proposed once a week for 3-4 weeks, and 
once a month thereafter.  The UN and US representatives held a 
joint press conference with the Prime Minister outside the GOH 
building after the meeting.  Preval came out of the building 
halfway through the formal press conference and met the local press 
off to one side for the first interview he has given to the local 
press since the earthquake. 
 
 
 
PREVAL SAYS WILL NOT EXTEND MANDATE 
 
 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  Speaking on local radio on January 28 for the first time 
since the earthquake, President Preval said that he had no 
intention to remain as president after the end of his term in 
February 2011. He did not specify, however, when parliamentary and 
presidential elections would be held. Meanwhile, there are 
increasing reports of small demonstrations against Preval and in 
support of the US presence in Haiti, including motorcycle taxis 
carrying US flags in the southern city of Les Cayes. 
 
 
 
NATIONAL POLICE AND GOH PAYROLL 
 
 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  Mario Andresol, Director General of the Haitian National 
Police, announced that seventy police officers died in the 
earthquake, and 491 remain  missing. The Police continue to return 
to the streets of the capital, directing traffic. Meanwhile, 
according to Canadian Embassy contacts, verbal orders were 
allegedly given by police leadership to shoot escaped prisoners on 
sight. United Nations Civilian Police officers close to prison 
authorities reported hearing unconfirmed reports of instances of 
extra-judicial killings of presumed criminals by the police. 
 
 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  The new MINUSTAH Police Commissioner, General Chaumont, 
met with Prime Minister Bellerive on January 27 and confirmed that 
the GOH will meet its January payroll, including for the police. 
According to Bellerive, the payment checks are currently being 
printed, and he does not  foresee major difficulties.  According to 
police sources, paychecks were supposed to be delivered today, but 
have not arrived. 
 
 
 
¶6.  (SBU)  The Governor and Chief Internal Auditor of the Central 
Bank have both repeatedly reassured EmbOff that re-establishing 
payroll for civil servants remains a priority and is currently 
within the means of GOH reserves.  The Central Bank has also 
offered the use of its armored vehicles to transport funds between 
bank branches. 
 
 
 
FINANCIAL SERVICES ATTEMPT TO REGAIN FOOTING 
 
 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Maxime Charles, President of the Haitian Bankers' 
Association told EmbOffs on January 27 that the Central Bank, with 
the help of MINUSTAH, is supplying funds to bank branches in 
provinces.  According to Charles, about 20 bank branches in 
Port-au-Prince were destroyed or are not functional; however, other 
sources estimate the number at more than 30.   Charles noted the 
importance of negotiating a loan guarantee fund with local banks to 
absorb collateral and reserve requirements.  The exchange rate for 
USD is stable at purchase price of HTG 39 to USD 1, and sale price 
of HTG 41.50 to USD 1.  Commercial banks are conducting foreign 
exchange transactions, but in small amounts.  Money transfer houses 
are functioning, with long lines of customers, but less than in 
previous days.  C.A.M. Transfer, one of the largest local transfer 
houses, has provided funds for five branches in Port-au-Prince, and 
has resumed regular business hours. 
 
 
 
GOH COUNTS PERSONNEL LOSSES 
 
 
 
¶6.  (SBU)  According to the World Bank, human capacity within the 
GOH, including the Ministry of Finance and Central Bank, has 
suffered particularly at the mid- and senior-managerial levels, due 
to deaths and absences since the earthquake.  As staff within the 
GOH and the banking sector continue to leave the country, banks are 
not operating at capacity.  In cases where computer records have 
not been destroyed, information, including tax information and 
records, will not be retrievable from servers for weeks, if at all. 
MERTEN