LAVALAS REUNIFICATION MEETING FAILS

C O N F I D E N T I A L PORT AU PRINCE 001028 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: DECL: 06/08/2011 TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM ASEC PINR HA SUBJECT: LAVALAS REUNIFICATION MEETING FAILS REF: A. PAUP 832 ¶B. PAUP 999 Classified By: Ambassador Janet Sanderson for reason 1.4(b). ¶1. (C) A June 2 meeting among Famni Lavalas (FL) leaders in Port-au-Prince ended in acrimony, as the participants failed to select a new ad interim leader (in the absence of former President Aristide). The meeting was reportedly spurred in part by an intense effort by Aristide to orchestrate his return to Haiti. According to various participants in the meeting, FL is now split among militants led by Rene Civil favoring Aristide's immediate return, an opportunistic group looking to reconnect with the FL base led by Senator Rudy Heriveaux, and leaders of popular organizations allied with Bel-Air activists Saram Jean Baptiste ("Samba Boukman") and Delva Daniel and Moise Jean Charles. Heated arguments broke out between Civil and Boukman when the latter refused to support a planned demonstrations on Aristide's behalf, resulting in accusations of betrayal by the Aristide supporters. ¶2. (C) Separate accounts of the June 2 meeting come from Heriveaux, FL deputy Saurel Francois, and Boukman. Heriveaux, as the senior elected Lavalas official, convened the meeting in order to pick a new FL chairman ad interim to replace outgoing chair Jonas Petit. (Comment: Petit is by all accounts an inconsequential figure, hand-picked by Aristide shortly after his departure from Haiti to ensure a strong chairman would not challenge his authority. End Comment.) Almost immediately, Civil, accompanied by "many chimeres" disrupted the meeting, demanding that Heriveaux and the others commit to an immediate campaign of provocative street demonstrations demanding the immediate return of Aristide. In reply, Boukman accused Civil and his followers of reckless disregard for the safety of the mass of FL supporters. Boukman argued that Civil had fled the country and deserted the FL base. He could not expect to re-assume leadership and lead the base into a disastrous confrontation with the authorities. With the meeting having devolved into a shouting match, militants accused the parliamentarians and Boukman of betrayal of FL and Aristide, and acting as CIA spies and lackeys of foreign masters (MINUSTAH). ¶3. (C) Other attendees associated with Heriveaux at the meeting included FL deputy Jonas Cofy, former Aristide chief of staff Jean-Claude Desgranges, and former Senators Gerard Gilles and Yvon Feuille. Aristide loyalists included Lila Desquiron, Antoine Lovinsky, Lesly Gustav, and Duclot Benisoit. Boukman, who admits to maintaining a close relationship with Lovinsky, though they disagree on immediate FL aims, reported that Aristide has intensified contact with his supporters, Lovinsky most notably, in pushing for his immediate return. ¶4. (C) Comment. Heriveaux and the parliamentary group within FL appear to have undertaken an ambitious political maneuver in attempting reunify Lavalas and establish their leadership. They have in the past two weeks publicly associated themselves with militant's demands for the release of "political prisoners" and the restoration of FL members' government jobs, while avoiding as best they can the issue of Aristide's return. (reftel). At the same time, they are trying to remain within a larger parliamentary bloc in parliament and gain government favor. Thus, they capitulated in accepting Jean Max Bellerive, the new minister of planning as the Fl representative in the government, though Bellerive is not an FL member (ref B). Though the parliamentary group is also taking pains to maintain the appearance of unity with their associates who joined them in registering FL for the election, below the surface cracks are beginning to open. Non-elected figures such as Gilles and Feuille are desperately seeking to regain any kind of political role, appear prepared to rejoin the militants (though they have seriously damaged their own credibility as Arisitide stalwarts),and appear not to care if they damage the parliamentarians in the process. Gilles, in particular, is reportedly furious the group did not insist that he represent FL in the cabinet. ¶5. (C) Comment continued. It is not clear whether any of this maneuvering would result in a significant increase in popular support for the Lavalas movement. Avowed Lavalas activists Boukman and Delva continue to insist to Emboffs and MINUSTAH officials that the vast majority of Haiti's poor simply want stability and the prospect of improved economic conditions, and are willing to give Preval a chance to deliver, rather than fight for Aristide's return. SANDERSON