HAITI ELECTIONS OBSERVATIONS #3

UNCLAS PORT AU PRINCE 000275 SIPDIS SENSITIVE 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 ASEC PKAO KDEM HA SUBJECT: HAITI ELECTIONS OBSERVATIONS #3 ¶1. This message is sensitive but unclassified; please protect accordingly. ¶2. (SBU) Summary: All six provincial Election Observation Teams (EOTs) unanimously report calm in their areas. Port-au-Prince EOTs and Embassy staff report light traffic but normal commercial activity. MINUSTAH political officers told polcouns that they were increasingly confident that election day would proceed with no major disruptions. Distribution of sensitive voting materials is complete or near complete; however EOT Cap Haitien reported that one voting center has not received the non-sensitive voting materials. A police station in Port-au-Prince that is supposed to be a large voting center has not been turned over to elections officials because the police commissioner claims he has not received instruction to do so. Hiring and training of poll workers is close to complete, but low-level confusion continues over hiring and paying the workers. Voters continue to complain over distance they will have to walk to the voting center. End Summary. Sensitive Materials On the Way -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Chief of Elections Security and Planning, Neil Warriner confirmed reports that MINUSTAH had departed from their original distribution schedule and had already begun to deliver sensitive material. Some MINUSTAH officials had claimed that SOUTHCOM reports of bad weather prompted the change; Warriner said the real reason was the poor results of their test-run two weeks ago, with particularly bad results in coordinating helicopter deliveries. While MINUSTAH has resorted to fallback planning, delivery was proceeding in all areas. Provincial EOTs in Hinche and Les Cayes report that all sensitive material has been delivered and is being watched by local security guards at the voting center. Remaining EOTs report that sensitive material is either en route or expected to arrive well before 6:00am February 7. Commissar Waiting for Instructions Before Handing Over Voting Center -------------- ¶4. (SBU) EOT Port-au-Prince #2 visited the &mega8 voting center located in a police station in the lower Delmas neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, near to Cite Soleil. The site is slated to house 37 voting centers serving 15,000 voters. The site manager reported that the police commissar had not received instructions from the CEP and refused to turn over the space. Post is following up with possible contacts who could instruct the commissar appropriately. Low-level Confusion for Poll Workers -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Several teams continue to reported low-level confusion over hiring/training of poll workers. Most teams have had more workers than jobs report for training, but in a few isolated cases, not enough people have shown up for work. In Port-au-Prince there are concern about logistics and working condition of electoral workers: transportation on election day, pay, breaks, food, water and hours. CARNEY