LOCAL AND MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS IN 33 DAYS: KEY TASKS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PORT AU PRINCE 002105

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR WHA/EX AND WHA/CAR
S/CRS
SOUTHCOMALSO 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: LOCAL AND MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS IN 33 DAYS: KEY TASKS

PORT AU PR 00002105 001.2 OF 002



1. This message describes the main logistical tasks to be
done in preparation for the local, municipal and the
remainder of the legislative elections on December 3.


2. Ballots


Jacques Bernard, Director General of the Provisionary
Electoral Council (CEP),reported on October 20 that ballot
printing and packaging was on schedule despite earlier
delays. Printing of election material began on October 11
and should be completed on November 13. The first containers
with both ballots and sensitive material arrived in Port au
Prince from the Dominican Republic arrived on October 16.
The first containers comprised election materials for 3
departments (Grand Anse, Northwest, and North). Material for
3 additional departments (Artibonite, Northeast, and Nippes)
arrived in Port au Prince on October 30 and materials for 3
additional departments, (Center, Northeast, and South) are
expected to arrive on November 6. The container of electoral
material for the largest department (West),with
approximately 40% of the voting population, will be the last
to arrive on November 13.

All non-sensitive material, including ballot boxes, voting
partitions, and pencils arrived on October 20th.

MINUSTAH Electoral Assistance Section, responsible for the
distribution and safekeeping of electoral material throughout
the country, state that all containers will remain in Port au
Prince until distribution to departmental capitals, beginning
November 8. Non-sensitive material will then be distributed
from the departmental capitals to the local areas from
November 20 through November 27 while sensitive materials
will be distributed between November 28 and December 02.


3. Voter Lists and ID Cards


The OAS, which has been largely responsible for voter
registration and distribution of the national ID cards, says
that voter lists are complete and have been recreated based
on the new electoral boundary information gathered by the CEP
as well as natural voter migration. The CEP was responsible
for determining the electoral boundary of the new department
of Nippes, which was not done in the previous elections.
(Note: The Aristide administration created the Nippes
department but it was never surveyed and properly delineated
in political and geographic terms. This issue was well known
prior to the current election. End Note.) Redrawing the
boundaries effected approximately 30,000 voters, who became a
part of a different department. Voters who changed domiciles
and informed their local elections office were also placed in
their proper voting communities.

New IDs were not distributed for those effected by the
re-districting or natural migration. Voters can go to their
communal electoral office (BEC) to determine their proper
voting centers or visit the CEP website.

Comment: Voter education is extremely important on this
issue. Many electors walk great distances to exercise their
right to vote. If voters are not aware of communal changes,
combined with unfamiliarity of voting and lack of procedure
to accommodate such a voter, frustration and tensions could
be high. The Prime Minister, himself, raised this issue with
the CEP, in the presence of donors and urged an education
campaign.


4. New Voting Centers and Personnel


The CEP has established 821 voting centers, and 9,231 polling
stations (including the 802 centers used in the first two
rounds) in the 140 communes of the 10 departments. The CEP
added additional voting centers in those communal sections
that did not have voting centers within their boundaries
during the first two rounds.

The CEP will train approximately 40,000 poll workers in

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segments, beginning November 8. This training will last 2
days. The 800 members of the different local appeals offices
(the BECE) have completed their training.


5. Campaigning and Civic Education


The CEP on October 30 formally opened the campaign season,
though there is little noticeable political activity. CEP
President Max Mathurin in an October 5 meeting with the
Ambassador expressed concern about voter participation. CEP
should, however, begin a voter education campaign. The
original timeline provided by the CEP indicated that civic
education would begin on October 8 though it has not yet
begun. The CEP claims that they plan to begin radio and
television ads three weeks prior to elections.


6. Security


MINUSTAH, with assistance from the Haitian National Police
(HNP),is responsible for security. SRSG Edmond Mulet has
instructed all MINUSTAH sections to give elections priority.
MINUSTAH,s central and departmental coordinating authorities
(JESC and DJESC) have been reactivated in preparation for
December 3. Force Commander General Elito is working on
final December 3 deployment plans and has said that MINUSTAH
will be ready.

Comment: OAS generated final ballot layouts, however,
MINUSTAH EAS, informal review of the ballots reveal
discrepancies in candidate names, which presented a problem
in 40-50 communes. Given that local elections tended to be
more personal, and thus more prone to violence, EAS indicated
that these errors were more than printing errors but raised
serious security concerns as impetus for local fighting.
According to Carlos Currie, Deputy Director of EAS, the
errors cannot be corrected and security implications of the
errors are being discussed among the units of MINUSTAH. In
thesQ"hot zones," security will be reinforced.


7. Budget


The projected budget by MINUSTAH for the elections is 16.9
million USD, with only 13 million USD pledged. Canada,
promising 4 million Canadian dollars (approximately 4 million
USD),and the EU, promising 4 million euro (approximately 5
million USD),have not yet delivered their pledges to the
UNDP. The CEP, in a meeting with the Ambassador on October
5, stated that the lack of funds was a problem and urged her
to press her colleagues on this issue. Since then, Canadian
funds have become available for disbursement. The GoH has
agreed to loan the EU portion to the UNDP and the EU will
reimburse the GoH when the funds become available. Brazil
announced a $1 million pledge at the Prime Minister's October
23 meeting.
TIGHE