PREVAL ON SECURITY, POLITICS AND DEVELOPMENT: "I

C O N F I D E N T I A L PORT AU PRINCE 001279 SIPDIS SIPDIS SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD DEPARTMENT PASS USAID FOR LAC E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/13/2016 TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR ETRD EAID HA SUBJECT: PREVAL ON SECURITY, POLITICS AND DEVELOPMENT: "I FOCUS ON THE BIG PICTURE" Classified By: Ambassador Janet A. Sanderson, reason 1.5 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary and comment. I met with President Preval early morning July 11 to discuss the current security environment, political issues, and his development priorities. I also pressed him on Haiti's position regarding Venezuela's bid for the UNSC seat (reported septel.) Preval contends Haiti's security problems are criminal, rather than political, in nature. He opted not to discuss the matter in any detail, saying security is the government's (i.e, the Prime Minister's job. The President's job is to keep his eyes firmly fixed on the big picture, by which he meant police and judicial reform, as well as economic development. He downplayed the threat of violent demonstrations by FL job seekers, saying that he is open to peaceful protest. He said they may have a case for unjust dismissal or at very least financial compensation. The president's immediate development priority is roads. He reiterated the importance that he attaches to the passage of the HOPE trade bill. Preval's big picture comment notwithstanding, his declared lack of engagement on current security issues is notable, although we do know that behind the scenes he has been active, sending envoys to Martissant and meeting with Organizations Populaires (OPs) who are calling for demonstrations. We do hope that his fixation on roads and his personal engagement in the GOH's Donors Meeting preparations do not presage a late attempt to skew Haiti's priorities in a new direction before the July 25 meeting here. End summary and comment. ¶2. (C) I met with President Preval early morning July 11 to discuss the current security environment, his development priorities, and current political events. Mentioning the previous weekend's violence in Martissant, I asked if he believed that the government would get a handle on security in the capital. Preval said that the government will bring the situation under control,although it will take time. He claimed that the violence was criminal rather than political in nature, and thus could be controlled and eliminated through appropriate police and MINUSTAH action. He is more "focused on the big picture": reforming the police, improving the judiciary and giving Haitians a better life. If the underlying problems are not addressed, dealing with gangs or kidnappers in Martissant or elsewhere won't matter, he said. His immediate work plan to solve those so-called underlying problems: building roads, bringing electricity into homes and businesses, collecting garbage, maintaining fiscal discipline, and ending crime and corruption in the ports. ¶3. (C) Central to any improvement in the security environment is profesionalization of the police. Preval pointed to his decision to keep Mario Andresol as HNP Director General as a major step forward. Andresol will reform the HNP and get rid of those in the police who have been involved in violence, crime and kidnapping. Vetting of police officers will start shortly. Preval commended Andresol for his work with MINUSTAH, work that will pay off in the long run. But police work isn't effective without a strong judiciary which will end criminal impunity. The new Minister of Justice, Preval said, has been instructed to canvass the international community for immediate support to rationalize the legal system. It is time to get rid of judges who let criminals go, he added. Preval said that he will shortly name Luc h Eucher Joseph, former Inspector General of the HNP, as Secretary of State for Public Security to coordinate the SIPDIS GOH's response to the violence. (Note. That nomination was indeed announced on July 12. End note.) I underscored my concern about the recent up-tick in violence, particularly the spate of kidnapping which has directly affected the Amcit community here. I added that whatever the new government hopes to do to bring in investment and tourism will be undermined, if not totally defeated, if it does not act swiftly to deal with the kidnapping issue. ¶4. (C) Although he agreed that there are some fears that there will be violent demonstrations for Aristide's birthday July 15, Preval downplayed concerns that any gathering will get out of hand. He claims that the FL currently has little ability to mobilize the masses. Peaceful demonstrations are certainly welcome. He expects that frustrated FL party members seeking re-employment may join demonstrations on July ¶15. These individuals, he believes, have a legitimate case when they press for re-employment rights. Although some of these individuals are party militants who did little, if anything, to earn their salaries, Preval claims that others were had been at their jobs for some time, in the police, education, and health sectors. Fired by the Interim Government, they received neither their final paycheck nor their severance pay, if so entitled. It was up to his government to make appropriate restitution. The GOH would not be blackmailed, Preval contended, but it did owe legitimate employees their benefits. GOH officials estimate that the amount owed in back salaries is approximately 280 million gourdes, or USD 7 million. If the GOH doesn't address the matter quickly, Preval said, it will be difficult to move the country forward. ¶5. (C) Preval believes that the government's social appeasement program (SAP) is key to Haiti's future. He looks forward to having the opportunity to discuss it in detail with the donors at the July 25 session and is spending his time at the Presidency prepping for the Donors Meeting. Roads loom large in Preval's vision of the SAP (and, we fear, for the Donors Meeting.) Waving a map of Haiti with a partially completed coastal route outlined in yellow, Preval said that economist Jeffrey Sachs has convinced him that improving Haiti's miserable road system is essential to rural and agricultural development. Without better roads, investors will shy away from the tourism sector. Preval said that the French have agreed to finish a leg of the national road out of Hinche. He intends to press other donors for similar commitments. I observed that the USG has important programs which contribute both directly and indirectly to rural development and we support other key SAP priorities, including education and health. We will leave roads to the donors whose programs are better suited to them. ¶6. (C) Aid programs aside, Preval again argued for immediate USG support for HOPE trade legislation. He noted that trade packages for Oman and Peru are going forward on the Hill. Neither, he contends, have the needs that Haiti has. "I would rather", he claimed, "give up all your aid money next year, if I could have HOPE." Preval said that he believes HOPE would create 15,000 jobs in a few months and could eventually create more than 100,000 jobs in two-three years. (Note. These figures are exaggerated, according to what industry sources tell us. End note.) ¶7. (C) Preval was vocal and energetic during the meeting, although he did say that he was pleased his traveling days were over for a while. He shared little detail of of his visit to Europe or CARICOM, except to praise the GOF commitment to roadbuilding at length and note that the meeting with French President Chirac was a very warm one. He has agreed to attend the Francophonie Organization meeting later in the year. Preval fussed at having moved back into the presidential palace two days previously, a place he assoicates with unhappy times during his first administration. He claims he will return to Ashton House within the month. I asked about his concerns about personal security which had heretofore kept him up the hill at Ashton House. Preval said that many of the palace security detail had been replaced and his own security team is in place. Not much else is: his office was bare and when I arrived at 8 am, there was not a staffer or a secretary to be found. SANDERSON