HAITI ELECTIONS: OAS DISTRIBUTES OVER 60 PERCENT

UNCLAS PORT AU PRINCE 000101 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR WHA/CAR DRL S/CRS SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD STATE PASS AID FOR LAC/CAR INR/IAA (BEN-YEHUDA) TREASURY FOR JEFFREY LEVINE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM PKAO HA SUBJECT: HAITI ELECTIONS: OAS DISTRIBUTES OVER 60 PERCENT OF ID CARDS REF: PAP 40 ¶1. According to OAS electoral chief Elizabeth Spehar, the OAS has received all 3.5 million ID cards and had distributed 2,070,369 or 59 percent as of their most recent reports from the field on January 11. Taking into account delayed reporting of distribution outside of Port-au-Prince, Spehar estimated that the OAS had actually distributed nearly 2.3 million or 65 percent of cards. Provinces previously far behind in distribution (reftel) have begun to catch up, but the smallest percentage of distributed cards, 30 percent is still in the South East. ¶2. Spehar reports that the pace of distribution is too slow to end distribution January 15, as previously planned, and that the OAS will keep its centers open through January 21. From January 22 - 24, the OAS will consolidate the cards at the communal electoral bureaus (BECs),which, with pending agreement from the CEP, will resume distribution from January 25 to February 6. Spehar said she is against leaving distribution open on Election Day, February 7, in order to minimize confusion. Spehar said the OAS would shift its personnel to help in other areas when it closed its distribution centers, leaving on 3 or 4 employees to assist with distribution at the BECs. She will propose that the remaining 500 or so OAS staff be integrated into the CEP, and ultimately the permanent electoral council to manage the ongoing civil registry, as called for in the electoral decree of February 2005. CARNEY