ELECTIONS TAKE PLACE IN RELATIVE CALM

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PORT AU PRINCE 002306

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: ELECTIONS TAKE PLACE IN RELATIVE CALM


PORT AU PR 00002306 001.2 OF 002



1. (U) Summary: Voting for municipal and local candidates
proceeded smoothly with a few hiccups. Political party
observers outnumbered the electorate in many voting centers
and a small number of voters were turned away from the
polling stations because their names did not appear on the
voter registration lists. However, Embassy officers reported
relative organization at the voting centers, sufficient
police presence, and quick resolution to potential problems
with voter turnout seemingly lower than the second round.
End Summary.

More Observers than Voters



2. (U) Embassy officers in Port-au-Prince, the North, South,
and Artibonite Departments reported that most voting centers
opened on time or with a minor delay this morning and were
fully staffed with poll workers and electoral security.
Despite readiness and overall good organization, voter
turnout was low with a constant trickle of voters throughout
the day. The impoverished neighborhood of Carrefour is a
notable exception; however, with approximately 150 people
waiting in line and heavy police presence during the morning.
All eight election observation teams reported two similar
problems: too many political party observers and confusion
over voter registration lists.


3. (U) At opening time, many of the polling stations were
inundated by political party observers. Radio Kiskeya
reported that the CEP had registered too many observers for
each of the centers. As many as 12 observers for each
political party were present at the polling stations. In
most instances, center managers resolved the issue without
incident. Some observers were asked to rotate on an hourly
basis, others were asked to select a representative from each
group because the size of the stations would not accommodate
all of the observers. By mid-day, a conoff reported that
most of &the polling stations were crammed full of political
party observers picking childish fights because they had no
voters to observe.8


4. (U) There was also some confusion over where some electors
should vote. In all areas where embassy officers visited
voting centers, a few would-be voters were turned away
because their names did not appear on the voting lists.
According to the voters, they were able to vote in the
previous rounds even when their names did not appear on the
list; however, now, a voter,s name must be on the electoral
list in order to cast his vote. This has caused some
frustration on the part of the voters. (Note: While it is
true that in the previous two rounds voters were accommodated
at almost any polling station, this is not the case with the
local and municipal elections because residency of the voter
influences the ballot they will receive. End Note.)

Proactive Problem Solving



5. (U) In Gonaives, three poll workers observed a fourth poll
worker give 6 ballots to one elector. The manager suspended
the poll worker,s duties. In Port-au-Prince, two political
party observers presented falsified documents and were
apprehended by the HNP at the request of the manager. In
Furcy, southwest of Port-au-Prince, the voting center manager
replaced 30 of the 48 poll workers at the last minute. The
Communal Electoral Bureau (BEC) president arrived, resolved
the situation, and the original 48 workers went to work. In
the Northeast department, the Alyans and Fusion candidates
alleged that the local election officials represented a
conflict of interest because of family ties with some
candidates. The CEP representative intervened and reshuffled
the officials so that any ties that may have existed would
not impact the election process.

Security



6. (U) Embassy election observers reported that MINUSTAH, the
HNP, and electoral security were present at the majority of
the voting centers. The HNP were helpful in managing the

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political party observers, resolving problems with electors
who became physically threatening when turned away by poll
workers and with candidates loitering unnecessarily around
the voting centers.


7. (U) Morning radio reports stated that gang related
shooting was heard in the district of Martissant throughout
the night and continued throughout the morning on election
day. Although the gun violence was not election related, it
likely affected voter turnout.

Local Politics Turn Nasty



8. (U) Poloff spoke to an L,Artibonite in Action (LAAA)
mayoral candidate in Gonaives who had been shot in the
stomach the evening before elections by a Lespwa candidate.
The LAAA candidate admitted that the two men had an ongoing
rivalry that pre-dated their candidacies.


9. (U) In Mapou, a small southern city outside of Jacmel, the
HNP were forced to close the polling station. (Note:
MINUSTAH indicated that about 30 voting centers were closed
around the country, some temporarily, throughout the day.
End Note.) In this hotly contested election with a
constituency of approximately 4,000, Lespwa and OPL
supporters physically assaulted the other supporters and then
attacked the polling station. The two HNP and two UNPOL
officers present were unable to control the crowd and the
supporters destroyed the polling station and the ballots.
MINUSTAH was called in but upon their arrival, tensions had
quelled and the crowd dispersed.


10. (U) Comment: Today,s elections proceeded with very low
voter turnout. No widespread incidents occurred although
press reporting indicates a higher level of disruptive
occurrences took place in the provinces than in
Port-au-Prince; widespread irregularities were not present.
End Comment.
SANDERSON