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