GOH WANTS ALL REMAINING ELECTIONS ON ONE DATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L PORT AU PRINCE 001099 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: 06/18/2011 TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM HA SUBJECT: GOH WANTS ALL REMAINING ELECTIONS ON ONE DATE Classified By: Ambassador Janet Sanderson for reason 1.4(b). ¶1. (SBU) Prime Minister Alexis on June 16 told SRSG Mullet and representatives from donor countries that President Preval wished to complete the remaining national runoffs (one senate and 11 deputy races),local, and municipal elections on the same day. Kicking off the meeting, MINUSTAH had presented options to separate the local elections, for which additional administrative work needs to be done, from the national and municipal elections, and presented November 30 as the earliest possible date to hold local elections. (Post has faxed a copy of MINUSTAH's presentation to WHA/CAR.) Alexis responded that in light of Preval's preference to finish everything at once, the government would work to organize one election day as close to November 30 as possible. Alexis committed to reviewing MINUSTAH's recommendations with President Preval at the earliest opportunity in order to take the necessary steps and lay the necessary groundwork with the CEP and MINUSTAH. ¶2. (SBU) MINUSTAH estimates that the completion of the remaining elections will cost roughly an additional $14 million. The European Union's Charge d'Affairs told the Prime Minister that the EU would consider an additional pledge. Alexis said he would prepare Preval to brief EU officials on the GoH's election plans during Preval's visit to Brussels at the end of June. Polcouns reminded the PM that the U.S. was prepared to donate an additional $4 million to this election round. Canada, represented by a representative from CIDA, did not speak on the subject of additional donations. ¶3. (C) Comment. The consensus among the key participants after the meeting was great satisfaction with Alexis's business-like and decisive approach. MINUSTAH Deputy SRSG Larry Rossin told Polcouns that with a clear way forward and the GoH committed to an electoral date, he thought CEP Jacques Bernard would be encouraged enough to stay at least long enough to ensure continuity in the CEP, if not stay through the completion of this election cycle himself. In a separate conversation the previous day, MINUSTAH elections chief LeChevallier told Poloff that he thought Bernard was inclined to stay. End Comment. SANDERSON