A/S SHANNON ATTENDS MINUSTAH/OAS MEETING IN

UNCLAS PORT AU PRINCE 000184 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: A/S SHANNON ATTENDS MINUSTAH/OAS MEETING IN PORT-AU-PRINCE, JANUARY 20 REF: PAUP 129 AND PREVIOUS ¶1. This message is sensitive but unclassified -- protect accordingly. ¶2. (SBU) Summary. WHA Assistant Secretary Thomas A. Shannon represented the United States. at a meeting of senior MINUSTAH, OAS, and donor countries in Port-au-Prince on January 20. The participants agreed that election officials and Haitian political leaders must respect the current electoral calendar and proceed with the first round of national elections on February 7. Participants further stressed that the international community and Haitians cannot allow violent actors to delay the democratic process. MINUSTAH elections chief Gerardo LeChevallier reported that elections organizers had nearly completed elections preparations. Presidential candidates and party representatives from the Entente for Democracy and Modernity expressed concerns about electoral preparations (see reftels),but supported proceeding with February 7 first round. The meeting with former president Rene Preval focused on his plans, if elected, to introduce universal education and reform the police force. The meeting succeeded in establishing both international and Haitian commitment to proceeding with elections on February 7. A/S Shannon cleared this message. End Summary. ¶3. (U) A/S Shannon led the U.S. delegation that included Charge d'Affairs Timothy Carney, WHA/CAR director Brian Nichols, and S/CRS Michele Schimpp, and Embassy Port-au-Prince Polcouns John Mariz. International delegation leaders included: MINUSTAH: SRSG in Haiti, Juan Gabriel Valdes OAS: Albert Ramdin, Assistant Secretary General UN: Hedi Annabi, Assistant Secretary General, UNDPKO Argentina: Leonardo Franco, A/S for Latin American Policy Brazil: Jose Eduardo Felicio, A/S for South America Canada: Jamal Khokhar, MFA Director General for the Americas Chile: Carlos Portales, MFA Director General for Foreign Policy Peru: Javier Terronas, Deputy Foreign Minister Resident Ambassadors of France, Germany, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic Resident Representatives of the IMF and World Bank International Community committed to February 7 -------------- ¶4. (SBU) In their opening statements, the international participants unanimously insisted that election authorities must proceed with the current electoral calendar and hold the first round on February 7. A/S Shannon reaffirmed our long-term commitment to the development of Haitian democracy, noting that the upcoming elections were the crucial first step in that process. He expressed his thanks to the troop-contributing countries in MINUSTAH and condolences to those who had suffered casualities, highlighting Brazil's leadership and U.S. sadness of the death of General Bacellar. A/S Shannon stressed that violence must not pose an obstacle to the democratic process, rather that the elections were a crucial step in taking steps to control the violence. Echoing A/S Shannon's remarks, Canada's Khokhar stated that the international community must address the security situation, but that there was no excuse to postpone elections. OAS ASG Ramdin summed up the opening session by concluding that the meeting should result in a clear and simple message to the Haitian people that the international community expected cooperation from all sides to support the electoral calendar, to improve the security situation, and to work toward national unity and reconciliation under the new government. (Note: Referring to these interventions, the U.S. delegation, with the strong support of Canada, France, and Germany, was able to sharpen focus in the joint declaration on support for the electoral calendar and the rejection of using violence as an excuse for further delay. End note.) Elections Preparations on Schedule -------------- ¶5. (SBU) LeChevallier reported progress on all of the issues facing elections organizers and assured the meeting MINUSTAH was prepared to hold to the February 7 first round. He highlighted that the OAS had distributed 80% of voter registration cards with plans in place to complete remaining distribution. MINUSTAH and the CEP had reviewed the locations of the 804 voting centers. LeChevallier acknowledged concerns about voting centers but reassured the group that no one would be further than 5 Km from their polling site. MINUSTAH had finalized the distribution of voting materials and made the logistical preparations to transmit the results. MINUSTAH had sufficient funds to organize the two rounds of national elections but not the municipal and local elections, scheduled for April 30. In response, ASG Ramdin emphasized the need for MINUSTAH and the CEP to publicize the status of elections preparations and to explain to the populace the decisions they had taken regarding voting centers, highlighting that everyone would have secure access to their polling site. Entente Gives Guarded Support for February 7 -------------- ¶6. (U) The presidential candidates and party representatives from the "Entente" alliance expressed concern regarding secure access to and staffing of voting centers, but on balance committed to support the first round date of February ¶7. Candidates Charles Henri Baker, Serge Gilles, and Evans Paul made strong statements that they and their parties were prepared to participate in elections on February 7. All voiced concern over security and CEP organization, but insisted that their parties and allies were working to motivate their followers to vote and ensure credible results. The OPL representative (OPL presidential candidate Paul Denis was campaigning in the countryside) struck the most skeptical stance, questioning whether results would be credible in light of various technical problems with voting lists and the voting centers. Rene Preval Confident of Victory -------------- ¶7. (U) Former president and L'Espwa party candidate Rene Preval stated that conditions were in place for credible elections, citing only limited concerns over security. Preval used his time to focus on his plans to govern (not bothering to qualify his remarks with "if elected") citing universal education and police reform as his most pressing priorities. Haiti lacked technical expertise in every area the new government needed to address, and Preval urged the international community to make experts available, suggesting that university exchanges would be especially useful. Preval turned to his campaign manager and former state secretary for security Robert Manuel to address police reform. Manuel stated that the Haitian National Police were corrupt and unreliable, with a history of serving as a tool of intimidation for the government. The first priority of a Preval government would be to remove criminals from its ranks and establish its independence from the government or any political movement. He also emphasized that judicial reform and institution building needs to be supported at levels on par with the police to ensure that police are subordinate to the rule of law. ¶8. (SBU) Comment. We and the international community achieved our primary goal in presenting Haitian leaders a united front committed to the current electoral calendar and gaining their pledge of commitment in return. Though what these leaders say when publicly put on the spot and how they behave otherwise may not be entirely consistent, the leading candidates, notably Preval, Baker, and Manigat, are sincerely committed to the electoral calendar and will not support delay. CARNEY