HAITI ELECTIONS IN 27 DAYS: KEY TASKS AND

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PORT AU PRINCE 003031

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STATE FOR WHA/CAR
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S/CRS
SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD
STATE PASS AID FOR LAC/CAR
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E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM HA
SUBJECT: HAITI ELECTIONS IN 27 DAYS: KEY TASKS AND
DEADLINES UPDATE

REF: PAP 2991


1. Summary: This message is the second in a series describing
the main logistical tasks to be completed (reftel) in
preparation for first round of Haitian elections scheduled
for January 8, 2006. The OAS continues to open ID card
distribution centers, but the current pace will not allow
card distribution to finish before the first round. The OAS
plans to supplement its distribution staff, and will assess
the likelihood of successful distribution December 16.
MINUSTAH expects ballot printing to finish December 12; four
containers with all the ballots for three of the ten
departments arrived December 9. The cascade training that
will ultimately produce roughly 40,000 poll workers has thus
far proceeded smoothly, however the bulk of the hiring has
not been completed. The OAS reported that the first batch of
partial electoral lists are finished and expects to finish
the second set on December 12 or 13. The CEP still has not
chosen between the two competing plans for result
transmission. End Summary.


2. ID Cards
--------------

MINUSTAH and the OAS continue to open card distribution
centers throughout Haiti, but the tempo of card distribution
remains too slow for all ID cards to be distributed by
January 8. According to MINUSTAH elections officials, as of
December 9, 107 of approximately 430 card distribution
centers (the same registration centers and mobile units are
being used) are in operation throughout Haiti. OAS elections
chief Elizabeth Spehar told Poloff December 12 that the OAS
is only now beginning to do massive distribution and is
working to get cards out from Port-au-Prince to the
distribution centers. While Spehar and CEP member charged
with registration Pierre Richard Duchemin say the OAS created
a document detailing card distribution procedures, all four
card distribution centers recently visited by Poloff used
different procedures.

The pace of card distribution has generally increased
throughout the country and according to CEP Director General
Jacques Bernard the OAS plans to supplement its distribution
staff by 400. On December 8, Poloff visited a card
distribution center in Croix des Bouquets, just east of
Port-au-Prince, which serves roughly 30,000 registrants.
According to the OAS communal coordinator staffing the site,
his workers distributed 130 cards on December 2 and 523 cards
on December 7. This coordinator said his site would not be
able to complete distribution ahead of the January 8 first
round.

Key Deadlines:

December 8: All distribution centers open -- MISSED
December 16: OAS and CEP judge viability of distribution
December 20: All ID cards in Haiti
December 31: Card distribution complete

Comment: OAS elections chief Spehar said she would be able to
assess the likelihood that the OAS would complete
distribution December 16. However, unless the rate of
distribution in the most populated areas increases
significantly throughout the next week, it is clear that the
OAS will not be able to complete its task. MINUSTAH, the
OAS, and the CEP must devise a more efficient means of
informing voters where to vote. Whether or not distribution
for a January 8 first round is possible, distribution should
continue.


3. Ballots
--------------

MINUSTAH elections officials expect ballot printing in the
Dominican Republic to finish December 12. They reported that
MINUSTAH received 4 containers of ballots December 9 with all
the ballots for the departments of the North, South East, and
Nippes. However, according to MINUSTAH the OAS corrected
some voting center and voting site assignments, meaning
MINUSTAH will have to repack some of the ballots, which are
sorted by voting site in the Dominican Republic. MINUSTAH
will collect and store the ballots in Port-au-Prince until
they are ready to be shipped to the provinces.

Key Deadlines:

December 15: All ballots finished and in Port-au-Prince
December 16 - January 5: MINUSTAH transports ballots to
provinces
January 6 - 7: UNPOL transports ballots to voting centers


4. Personnel
--------------

According to CEP DG Jacques Bernard, the cascade training
that will train roughly 40,000 poll workers for election days
is proceeding smoothly. The CEP will hire professors as
voting site presidents. Bernard said the CEP and MINUSTAH
have overcome their hiring-conflict with the communal and
departmental electoral bureaus (BEDs and BECs) about the poll
worker positions. Bernard reported that CEP would encourage
the political parties and civil society to propose
candidates, but expected they would not be able to fill more
than 12,000 of the poll worker positions. He said the BEDs
and BECs would hire the rest of the staff.

Key Deadlines:

December 19 - 23: Training for voting center managers
December 24: First group of voting site presidents hired
December 26 - 27: First round of voting site presidents
trained
December 26: Second group of voting site presidents hired
December 28 - 29: Second round of voting site presidents
trained
December 29: All poll workers hired
January 1 - 5: All voting site personnel trained

Comment: Resolution of the hiring conflict is good news, but
hiring could still remain a problem. The CEP placated the
BEDs and BECs by giving them a larger role in the hiring
process, but their progress should be closely monitored. In
the past, the BEDs and BECs have not produced timely results
when tasked by the CEP. The BEDs and BECs could
controversially politicize the hiring process as officials
will likely jockey to secure jobs for their family, friends
and cronies. Further, the IFES long-term observer mission
reported that the CEP has already failed to meet one
requirement. The list of polling places and the list of
pollworkers was to be posted in a public place no late than
30 days before the election to allow public inspection. As
of December 11, the lists have not been posted.


5. Partial Electoral Lists
--------------

According to the OAS, one set of partial electoral lists is
already complete and a second set has started printing. In a
December 9 meeting, the OAS, MINUSTAH and CEP discussed using
the partial lists to inform voters of their voting centers.
The first set of lists will be posted on the walls of the
BECs and voters will be able to use them to identify their
voting center and voting site.

Key Deadlines:

December 17: finish printing LEPs
December 18: Distribute final LEPs


6. Transmitting the Results and Counting the Votes
-------------- --------------

The CEP still has not chosen between two competing methods to
transmit results to Port-au-Prince, and preparations for both
continue. One option, favored by MINUSTAH, some members of
the CEP, and CEP DG Bernard, is for MINUSTAH to transport
results to Port-au-Prince by helicopter and truck. The
other, championed by CEP member Francois Benoit and supported
by the Ministry of the Interior and Central Bank, is to
transmit results by satellite. While neither has been
definitively chosen, both are proceeding as though they will
ultimately be used. MINUSTAH, the CEP, UNOPS and the OAS
have prepared a memorandum of understanding governing their
cooperation within the MINUSTAH counting center where results
would be physically brought to under MINUSTAH,s plan.
Meanwhile, Benoit plans to present the software for the VSAT
system on December 13.

Key Deadlines:

ASAP: Method for transmitting the results chosen
ASAP: Logistics for vote transmission and counting finalized
December 26: Counting center fully operational
CARNEY