HAITI'S WEAK LEGISLATURE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PORT AU PRINCE 001487

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR WHA/CAR
S/CRS
SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD
STATE PASS AID FOR LAC/CAR
INR/IAA (BEN-YEHUDA)
WHA/EX PLEASE PASS USOAS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM HA
SUBJECT: HAITI'S WEAK LEGISLATURE

REF: PAP 1425

PORT AU PR 00001487 001.2 OF 002



1. Summary. The Haitian parliament as of June 12 is in
regular session for the first time in nearly three years.
Hampered by inadequate facilities, lack of technical support,
and institutional weakness, legislators have carried out
their basic functions but have failed as yet to develop a
legislative agenda. Parliamentary criticism of MINUSTAH's
response to insecurity and President Preval's conciliatory
approach to gang-leaders resonated in the media, but so far
the parliament has found itself in its traditional role of
supplicant to the president. End Summary.

Parliament 101
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2. Haiti's parliament is comprised of the senate and the
chamber of deputies. The senate and the chamber meet
separately under the leadership of their individual executive
boards, headed by their elected presidents and accompanying
officers, and form their own committees. When both houses
meet jointly, the body is referred to as the national
assembly, and presided over by the senate president. There
are 30 senators and 99 deputies. Senators are elected from
10 departments while deputies represent districts, known as
circonscriptions. The senate, unlike the chamber, is
permanently in session. The senators may voluntarily adjourn
but not during the legislative season of the chamber, which
is the second Monday of January to the second Monday in May
and from the second Monday in June to the second Monday in
September.

Inadequate Facilities
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3. The "Legislative Palace" is located 150 meters across a
park from the U.S. Embassy. The three story white building
dates from 1946 and allegedly once served as a restaurant.
The parliament building houses the national assembly gallery,
used by the chamber for its sessions, the senate gallery, a
small diplomatic lounge, and the administrative offices of
the deputies' leadership. Though it has undergone several
refurbishments, most recently immediately prior to the
opening of this legislature, the building has few air
conditioners and is poorly ventilated. Cigarette smoke fills
the hallways and employees are cramped, sitting two,
sometimes three to a desk. The chamber employs approximately
165 staff, in offices covering public relations, security,
archives, computer services, protocol, administration, and
staff assistants to the members and the permanent committees.


4. The senate is slightly better fixed. The senate building
behind the parliament has larger administrative offices and
more meeting space. The Preval government has turned over
two adjacent government buildings, the former labor tribunal
and the former government run newspaper offices. However,
these buildings require extensive repairs and will not be
ready for some time. The Presidents of the Senate and the
Chamber of Deputies have both asked the Ambassador to donate
the Chancery building, a stone's throw from the Parliament,
to the legislature when we move into the NEC. Indeed, they
seem to believe its a done deal.


5. None of the parliamentarians have individual work space
or staff. All complain that they lack access to computers,
printers, TVs, desks and file systems. (Note: USAID is
donating surplus office equipment to the parliament, a
process that had been slowed, however, by parliament's
inefficient administration. End Note.) The secretary
general of administrative affairs complained that
parliament's existing server does not work and employees and
parliamentarians alike are unable to access information.
Parliamentarians demand most often that the government
provide them with cars, complaining they are otherwise unable
to travel back and forth to their districts.


6. An air of lethargy hangs over the palace on most days.
Idle staffers lounge in the entry surrounded by unarmed
security guards in polo shirts with embroidered &PALAIS
SECURITY8 logos. Individuals seeking favors or employment

PORT AU PR 00001487 002.2 OF 002


gather outside the entry and in the adjoining park waiting to
approach parliamentarians as they enter or leave. Political
graffiti, including calls for Aristide,s return and support
for police chief Andresol, remains spray-painted for days
across the eight-foot white perimeter concrete gate.

Comment
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7. Parliament has performed its required constitutional
duties, notably confirming Prime Minister Alexis and later
Police Director General Andresol, with reasonable dispatch,
but has otherwise failed to develop a legislative agenda or
conduct much business. Post will report septel on political
trends within the parliament, but strong coalitions have yet
to coalesce. With President Preval having completely removed
himself from a role in the L'Espwa party, the parliament's
largest bloc is leaderless and directionless.
Parliamentarians have found a platform in the Haitian media,
as demonstrated by the highly publicized call by some members
to boycott the recent visit of UNSYG Annan and the sharp
criticism by others of President Preval's policy of dialogue
with Port-au-Prince's criminal gangs (reftel). Media
coverage of the disparate views within parliament does serve
as a useful gauge of overall public opinion. The overall
track record so far, however, indicates that parliament will
in the near-term continue to play its traditional role of the
weak second branch beholden to the executive.
SANDERSON