Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05PORTAUPRINCE2604
2005-10-19 18:03:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Port Au Prince
Cable title:  

JACQUES BERNARD SWORN IN AS ELECTIONS DG

Tags:  PGOV PREL KDEM HA 
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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

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