CONSOLIDATING SUPPORT FOR HAITIAN ELECTIONS

C O N F I D E N T I A L KINGSTON 000421 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/CAR (BENT/SEIBEL) SOUTHCOM FOR J7 (RHANNAN) E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/15/2015 TAGS: PREL HA JM UNSC SUBJECT: CONSOLIDATING SUPPORT FOR HAITIAN ELECTIONS REF: A. STATE 25232 ¶B. STATE 11696 ¶C. KINGSTON 0193 ¶D. CDA TIGHE-A/S NORIEGA FEB. 10 CLASSIFIED E-MAIL Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Thomas C. Tighe. Reasons 1.5(b) and ( d). ¶1. (SBU) On February 14, Pol/Econ Chief conveyed Ref A points (via fax) to Ambassador Peter Black, Undersecretary for Bilateral Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, who serves concurrently as non-resident Ambassador to Haiti. The following morning, P/E Chief called Black's office to confirm receipt of points and was told that the points had been faxed to the GOJ delegation in Suriname for the February 16-17 Caricom Heads of Government meeting. ¶2. (C) Per Ref D, former Secretary Powell, who made a private visit to Kingston February 7-9, raised Haiti with Foreign Minister K.D. Knight on February 8. Former Secretary Powell urged active Caribbean engagement in Haiti, and suggested that CARICOM could provide much needed help in organizing the upcoming Haitian elections. Knight, however, was not particularly forthcoming on Haiti, and declined to speculate about whether the HOGs would reach consensus on the subject in Suriname. TIGHE