C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PORT AU PRINCE 000129

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: 01/19/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM PKAO HA
SUBJECT: VOTING CENTERS CENTER OF CRITICISMS OF HAITIAN
ELECTION


Classified By: ADCM Jay Smith, reasons 1.4 b and d.


1. (C) Summary: Political Parties and some Provisional
Electoral Council employees continue to assert there are
widespread problems with voting centers. MINUSTAH and the
OAS reject their claims as politically and financially
motivated. They have worked throughout January to rectify
voting center problems and say any remaining problems will
not delegitimize results. The CEP, MINUSTAH, and OAS do
admit that local elections cannot proceed with arrangements
as they stand for national elections because they will need
to completely re-do voting lists and voting center
assignments. End Summary.

OAS, MINUSTAH: National, Mayoral Elections Unaffected
-------------- --------------


2. (C) Political Parties and some employees of the CEP are
stepping up their claims that there are too few voting
centers, that the centers are poorly placed, and that some
voters are assigned to incorrect voting centers. In a report
privately passed in early January to Poloff, members of CEP
President Mathurin's staff claimed that nearly a third of the
electorate is affected by three kinds of voting center
mix-ups. First, 14 voting centers are located in the wrong
deputy district and as a result 65,300 voters will be unable
to vote for their deputy candidates. Second, 30 communal
sections do not have a voting center at all, which they claim
affects 102,155 voters. Third, 550,000 - 750,000 voters have
been assigned to the wrong voting center and many will not be
able to vote for their senate and/or deputy candidates.


3. (SBU) Post presented all three claims to MINUSTAH and OAS
elections organizers January 6. OAS elections officials
argue that while some problems with voting centers are
legitimate, widespread problems of the magnitude cited by
Mathurin's office appear to be exaggerated. In all but a few
cases, registration centers placed in a particular deputy
district only registered voters from that district. The OAS
directly assigned voters from most registration centers to
the corresponding voting center. MINUSTAH, the OAS, and the
CEP General Director have worked throughout January to fix
voting center problems, but say the claims from Mathurin,s
office and the political parties are mostly trumped-up
charges aimed at delaying the process and do not affect
national or mayoral elections. MINUSTAH reported January 13
that all significant problems with the voting centers must
and would be settled by January 25 so that MINUSTAH can plan
and test logistical operations prior to the February 7 first
round.

Voting Center Problems Huge for Local Election
-------------- -


4. (C) The CEP, MINUSTAH, and OAS report that voting center
problems gravely impact local elections for offices below the
level of mayor. OAS registration differentiated between
deputy and mayoral districts, but did not take local
(Communal Section Assemblies (ASEC) and Communal Section
Assembly Boards (CASEC)) districts into account. As a
result, the voters assigned some voting sites would currently
need to vote for different ASEC and CASEC representatives,
which would require voters at a single voting site to fill
out different ballots. The CEP DG said he would need at
least six to eight weeks to sort out the voter lists before a
local election could be organized. However, MINUSTAH
elections officials said they believe Bernard's estimate is
optimistic because the voter lists would need to be
completely redone.


5. (C) Comment: CEP Director General Jacques Bernard

PORT AU PR 00000129 002 OF 002


addressed January 19 the voting center problem in a televised
interview. He will also address voting centers in a press
conference planned for January 20 at the CEP (septel).
Nonetheless, some within the electoral process seek to delay
elections because they believe delays will benefit certain
candidates and/or provide personal financial benefits. They
have seized upon the voting centers as an area susceptible to
difficult-to-disprove criticism. While there are likely to
be some problems with voting centers in national elections,
we believe the arrangements as currently planned are
sufficient to allow credible national elections. End Comment.

CARNEY