MUNICIPAL/LOCAL ELECTIONS DELAYED

UNCLAS PORT AU PRINCE 001668

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR WHA/CAR
DRL
S/CRS
SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD
STATE PASS AID FOR LAC/CAR
INR/IAA (BEN-YEHUDA)
TREASURY FOR MAUREEN WAFER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM HA
SUBJECT: MUNICIPAL/LOCAL ELECTIONS DELAYED

REF: PAP 1605


1. This message is sensitive but unclassified -- protect
accordingly.


2. (SBU) The Secretary General's Special Representative
(SRSG) in Haiti Edmond Mulet and President Preval on
September 7 agreed to delay the date of municipal, local, and
pending national elections until February 7. The CEP had
earlier announced the date of these elections would be
December 3 (reftel). Preval was to communicate his decision
to the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) the following day
for the CEP to make the subsequent formal announcement.
Mulet related the details of his private meeting with Preval
to Polcouns on the evening of September 7 at Brazil's
national day reception. Mulet said he had recommended a
postponement for budget, security and logistical reasons and
and that Preval had readily agreed, noting the additional
time would allow him time to consult with political parties
and civil society regarding the elections. Mullet underlined
that in responding to Preval's request for increased security
in Port-au-Prince, he had re-deployed significant numbers of
troops and police that would be unavailable for elections
duties in November.


3. (SBU) MINUSTAH elections chief Gerardo Lechevallier
stated flatly in the same conversation that MINUSTAH and the
CEP could not hold elections on December 3. MINUSTAH and the
CEP did not have enough money on hand (even with the
additional USG donation of $4 million) and the Canadian
government and the European Union could make no firm
commitment regarding when their additional donations would be
available. Lechevallier also repeated concerns that the CEP
had not finalized the lists of certified candidates, delaying
ballot printing and distribution. CEP Director General
Jacques Bernard has assured emboffs in earlier conversations
that candidate certification would not delay the process.
LeChevallier reassured Polcouns that the current CEP and
MINUSTAH budget included funding for OAS functions in
preparation for the upcoming elections, chiefly support of
OAS chief technical advisor Felix Ortega and his team.


4. (SBU) Comment. According to electoral law, the CEP has
the primary authority for establishing election dates, which
the government must then confirm. Under present
circumstances in Haiti, however, no one doubts that Preval's
will be the final word. Preval had previously left Prime
Minister Alexis to coordinate elections preparations with
MINUSTAH and the CEP. His intervention at this stage to
postpone elections -- departing from recent Haitian tradition
of announcing delays at the last minute -- is a clear
reminder that the security situation and changes within his
government (post will report the details of a sub-ministerial
shake-up septel) are far greater priorities for him at the
moment.
TIGHE