JACQUES BERNARD SWORN IN AS ELECTIONS DG

UNCLAS PORT AU PRINCE 002604 SIPDIS STATE FOR WHA/CAR DRL S/CRS SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD STATE PASS AID FOR LAC/CAR INR/IAA (BEN-YEHUDA) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM HA SUBJECT: JACQUES BERNARD SWORN IN AS ELECTIONS DG REF: A. PORT-AU-PRINCE 2569 ¶B. PORT-AU-PRINCE 1366 ¶1. Prime Minister Gerard LaTortue swore in Jacques Bernard as Director General of the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) on October 15. According to the new bylaws of the CEP, the Bernard will be responsible for the day-to-day operation of the CEP under the nine CEP members, who will act as a board of directors under the aegis of the new Support Committee (SC). The CEP approved Bernard in a five to four vote, which was less favorable than the unanimous consent Bernard had sought (REF A). Some political party leaders, notably Micha Gaillard of FUSION, have criticized Bernard for being out of touch with Haiti,s problems and thus unlikely to succeed. The PM anticipated these objections and countered that Bernard's distance from the process and political neutrality make him an ideal candidate to guide the CEP. Thus far, Bernard has started an audit of the CEP,s progress to date, which he plans to use to make an elections workplan. He said plans to run the CEP like a business in order to implement elections preparations as soon as he understands what needs to be done. Prime Minister Latortue had insisted that Bernard accompany him to Brussels to attend the donors conference on October 21. Bernard ultimately enlisted intermediaries to convince Latortue that he needed to stay in Haiti to work. ¶2. Bio Note: Jacques Bernard is of Haitian origin and has worked for 30 years in international business. Most recently, Bernard has acted as a consultant to the IGOH in early 2005 and helped to resolve a labor dispute in the Ouanaminthe free trade zone, in northeastern Haiti (REF B). He has managed a stock portfolio and his land holdings in Haiti from Washington DC Since 1999. From 1996-2000, Bernard ran a sorghum farm (Lion Farm) and an industrial development project (Anagriff Development) in Haiti. Prior to that, he ran an electronics assembly plant in Haiti from 1983-1996 that manufactured component parts for American electronics. Between 1974-1981, Bernard worked as an economist for Harris Bank in Chicago, Illinois, where he specialized in international development financing and risk analysis. Bernard has a B.A. in economics and an M.A. in economics and finance from Roosevelt University in Chicago. CARNEY