HAITI ELECTIONS: VOTING CENTERS SELECTED, ID

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PORT AU PRINCE 002809

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: HAITI ELECTIONS: VOTING CENTERS SELECTED, ID
DISBRIBUTION COMING



1. Summary: The Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) on
November 8 approved a MINUSTAH-prepared list of 809 voting
centers, opening the way for ID card distribution to begin.
The OAS plans to start distributing ID cards November 15
throughout Haiti. Peak capacity at the ID card printing
facility in Mexico is only 350,000 cards per week, meaning
that 3.25 million cards out of a total of 3.40-3.45 million
could be in Haiti for the December 18 first round, the
remaining 150,000 - 200,000 would not arrive until December
18-20. This unexpected delay is a cautionary note in a
process where the electoral calendar has been so compressed
as to leave no margin for error. The OAS has placed plans to
reopen registration in some rural areas on hold until after
the first round, but will ensure that remaining rural voters
are registered in time to participate in local elections.
End Summary.


2. According to the OAS, the CEP-approved list of 809 centers
included some large voting centers in Port-au-Prince that
will accommodate as many as 16,000 voters. While the list
treats each voting center as a single entity, larger sites
will consist of several buildings in a single area. MINUSTAH
elections officials hope that use of separate facilities will
prevent confusion, ease tension, and decrease the likelihood
of violence.

OAS and MINUSTAH Disagree on Card Distribution
--------------


3. With the voting centers approved, OAS elections chief
Elizabeth Spehar plans to begin widespread ID card
distribution November 15. OAS departmental coordinators and
registration coordinators met November 11 in Port-au-Prince
to finalize OAS and CEP card distribution procedures, confirm
the list of voting centers, and assign voters to their
respective voting centers. The OAS has already received
roughly 1.6 million cards that correspond to seven of Haiti's
ten departments and has shipped roughly half them to the
field for distribution.

3.25 Million IDs Expected for First Round
--------------


4. Spehar complained that though Digimarc, the ID card
printing company, has a contract that clearly stipulates
producing 500,000 cards per week, it can only print 350,000
per week, even with three shifts. The only way that Digimarc
could increase its capacity to 500,000 per week would be to
use its second identical facility, which is currently
printing Mexican IDs. The OAS is considering legal action
against Digimarc, but given the late date does not know if it
would make a difference in ID delivery. At its current pace,
Digimarc estimates it will deliver 3.25 million cards by
December 12, which would leave sufficient time to distribute
them by the first round. The remaining 150,000-250,000
voters would have to use their registration receipts or other
forms of ID to vote. Digimarc expects to finish all of the
ID cards by December 18-20.

Registration to Reopen in Some Rural Areas
--------------


5. Spehar said OAS plans to reopen registration in rural
areas are on hold but remain critical to minimizing
post-election complaints. The OAS originally planned to
reopen registration in rural areas November 9-16 to ensure
that the roughly 85,000 voters in 20 communal sections all
have a chance to register. However, it halted the effort
because opening registration again now would jeopardize the
OAS' ability to produce complete voter lists in time for the
December 18 first round. Instead, Spehar advocated running a
national election, which would leave off both affected deputy
seats and the voters in question, and combining the missing
deputy races with the runoff or the local election.


6. Comment: CEP acceptance of the voting center list clears a
key bottleneck; MINUSTAH can now finalize its operational
plans and the OAS can distribute cards throughout Haiti.
Failure of the Digimarc to meets its contractual obligations
is disappointing as it will increase confusion at voting
centers, and possibly give opportunities to critics of the
elections. It is also a cautionary note for the selection of
dates for the election. The current proposals for completing
elections by February 7 leave no margin for error or delay in
a country rife with unanticipated impediments. The OAS
should proceed with its final voter registration push. The
still unregistered rural voters, though few, represent
approximately 2.5 percent of the electorate. The number of
first-round candidates in many national races make it
possible that victors and/or runners up could be decided by
only a few percent. The OAS should strive to avoid a
situation in which losers, especially at the presidential and
senatorial level, could claim incomplete registration was
responsible for their loss.
GRIFFITHS