Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05OTTAWA1734
2005-06-08 15:42:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Ottawa
Cable title:  

CANADA: APPEAL TO DONORS FOR HAITIAN ELECTIONS

Tags:  HA AORC EAID EFIN PGOV PREL 
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 OTTAWA 001734 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/06/2013
TAGS: HA AORC EAID EFIN PGOV PREL
SUBJECT: CANADA: APPEAL TO DONORS FOR HAITIAN ELECTIONS
BUDGET SHORTFALL

REF: SECSTATE 101620

Classified By: POLMINCOUNS Brian Flora, reasons 1.4 (b) (d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 OTTAWA 001734

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/06/2013
TAGS: HA AORC EAID EFIN PGOV PREL
SUBJECT: CANADA: APPEAL TO DONORS FOR HAITIAN ELECTIONS
BUDGET SHORTFALL

REF: SECSTATE 101620

Classified By: POLMINCOUNS Brian Flora, reasons 1.4 (b) (d)


1. (SBU) Summary: Poloff and Econoff met with a combined
Foreign Affairs Canada and CIDA team led by FAC Director for
the Caribbean and Central America Christian Lapointe June 7
to discuss the Haitian elections budget and the general
situation in Haiti. Canadian officials feel it is important
for the US, Canada, Brazil and France to "shake the tree" on
security problems. The GOC asked if the USG $8 million in
additional funding for the elections will be paid to the UNDP
election fund, and asked if we know the composition of the US
delegation to the June 16-17 Montreal conference. End Summary

MONTREAL CONFERENCE
--------------


2. (C) Lapointe said that Canada's efforts at present are
focused on the success of the Montreal conference. The GOC
sees this meeting as a follow-up to the Cayenne conference,
but hopes that it will go beyond Cayenne in developing a
closer partnership with the IGOH and shifting decision making
more to Haitians. There will be a delegation of 13
individuals from the IGOH in attendance, including 5
Ministers, four representatives from the provisional
electoral committee, and Chief of Police Leon Charles.
Lapointe said he is optimistic about pinning down further
support in Montreal.


3. (C) In Montreal, Elections Canada officials plan to meet
with technical elections experts of key donor countries the
morning of June 16 to discuss a proposal for an elections
steering committee. Lapointe said that there will not be any
involvement by Canadian civil society in this conference as
it is government to government talks, but Canada continues to
hope to involve the Haitian diaspora in reconstruction and
development. He asked if we knew yet who from the U.S. would
be attending the conference.

SECURITY IN HAITI
--------------


4. (C) Lapointe said Canada has high hopes that the joint
visit by the PM's Special Advisor on Haiti Denis Coderre and
A/S Roger Noriega will energize MINUSTAH and make clear to

the Haitian leadership its role in improving security and
stability. The GOC highly values this partnership. He
expressed a concern that MINUSTAH simply does not have
adequate intelligence to act forcefully. He mentioned that
when the Canadian forces were there they had a strong
intelligence capacity but when it was withdrawn the Brazilian
contingent was not able to replace it.


5. (C) Lapointe said that Aristide supporters are emboldened
by support from outsiders and there is a need to convey a
strong message to key countries that are facilitating
Aristide's continued involvement in Haiti, e.g. the Dominican
Republic and South Africa. They said that the GOC has
decided it is time to crack down on appeals to violence made
by Aristide supporters in Canada, and make it clear that such
activities will not be tolerated. One member of the Canadian
team wondered why the U.S. has not moved to indict Aristide
on drug trafficking charges, as we have done with so many of
his close colleagues. The team sees violence increasing as
elections near, instigated by individuals both inside and
outside of Haiti. Lapointe mentioned that Canada has a new
project to professionalize the police with long-term senior
level leaders training for the post-MINUSTAH period.

ELECTIONS UPDATE
--------------


6. (SBU) Yves Petillon, CIDA Director for Haiti, Cuba and the
Dominican Republic, said that Canada is largely satisfied
with the way election funding is shaping up. They think that
the additional funding from the USG and the EU will be almost
adequate to cover the budget requirements identified by the
UN ($2-3 million shortfall). He asked whether the US $8
million could be used for observation as well as the
management of elections, and whether it would be disbursed
through the UNDP fund, which is how Canada and the EU are
making their contribution. Petillon said that Jean Pierre
Kingsley of Elections Canada will continue to play a key role
and will participate actively in Montreal. He also mentioned
that Canada will not be providing additional funding above
and beyond the CN $17 million (USD $14 million) it has
committed for registration.

7. (SBU) With regards to the elections themselves, the team
is concerned that the registration process will be delayed.
Lapointe said that there are supposed to be 150 offices
established but there are significantly delays in doing so,
especially after the torching of one office in the north.
Lapointe said this could delay the process by 5-6 weeks but
believes that a postponement of this length would be
manageable. However, the clock is ticking and every day
counts and if the delay is longer than this it could send a
negative signal to Haiti and the international community
regarding the viability of the political process.

Visit Canada's Classified Web Site at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/ottawa

DICKSON