PM LATORTUE ON ELECTIONS, NEPTUNE AND JEAN-JUSTE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PORT AU PRINCE 000036

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E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/21/2015
TAGS: PREL PGOV ASEC HA
SUBJECT: PM LATORTUE ON ELECTIONS, NEPTUNE AND JEAN-JUSTE


Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Timothy M. Carney for reasons 1.4 (B)
and (D)


1. (C) SUMMARY: Interim Prime Minister Gerard Latortue
told Charge January 5 that the interim government (IGOH) does
not object to examination and diagnosis of imprisoned priest
Gerard Jean-Juste by the physician of his choice. Before
options for treatment would be explored, however, Latortue
wants a formal opinion on the leukemia diagnosis made by
well-known doctor/activist Paul Farmer, whom Latortue
described as a "known Lavalas supporter". Farmer diagnosed
Jean-Juste with early-stage chronic lymphocytic leukemia
based on an informal examination and blood test at the Pacot
prison annex on December 18. Charge then asked if former
Prime Minister Yvon Neptune, also imprisoned, might still
accept the 2005 IGOH offer of treatment outside of Haiti.
Latortue said that this would be difficult since Neptune has
now been formally charged and the prosecution is finally
underway. Latortue instead mooted moving Neptune to the
Argentine military hospital, an offer that might not interest
Neptune due to the stark nature of the facility. The brief
breakout meeting with Charge took place during a three-hour
meeting among Latortue, Special Representative of the
Secretary General (SRSG) Juan Gabriel Valdes, OAS Ambassador

SIPDIS
Denneth Modeste and the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP).
Latortue lobbied in that meeting for a February 7 first
round, a March 12 second round, and a March 29 inauguration,
but the CEP failed to reach consensus. Latortue told Charge
that he welcomed pressure from the UN Security Council and
others to compel action by the CEP. END SUMMARY.

Neptune
--------------

2. (C) On January 5, Interim Prime Minister Gerard Latortue
broke from his three-hour meeting with the SRSG, OAS and CEP
to speak with Charge about the ongoing imprisonment of
priest/Lavalas activist Gerard Jean-Juste and of former Prime
Minister Yvon Neptune. Charge asked if the 2005 IGOH offer
to allow Neptune to seek treatment abroad is still valid.
Latortue replied that this would be difficult now that
Neptune has been formally charged and the judicial process is
underway. Latortue noted the SRSG's offer to transfer
Neptune to the Argentine military hospital instead. Latortue
stated that any move to have Neptune transferred would
require the consent of the appellate court in Gonaives, which
would also probably require a formal request from Neptune's
attorney. Neptune has refused counsel since his initial
arrest in 2004. Charge argued that Neptune should be able to
make the request on his own behalf. PM replied "maybe."
Neptune, who was held for over a year without charges, is now
in custody pending trial for "intellectually masterminding"
the La Scierie massacre that took place in Saint Marc in
February 2004. Neptune, who previously spent several months
in the windowless Argentine field hospital after a near-fatal
hunger strike in the winter of 2005, was unhappy during his
stay there, and he may be unlikely to accept such an offer.
Interim Justice Minister Henri Dorleans separately told
Charge that the head of the Prison would put the notion of a
transfer to the Argentine hospital to Neptune (NFI).

Jean-Juste
--------------

3. (C) Charge then asked Latortue if it would be possible
for imprisoned Lavalas activist/priest Gerard Jean-Juste to
receive treatment abroad. On December 26, well-known
doctor/activist Paul Farmer published his diagnosis of
Jean-Juste with early stage leukemia in a letter to the Miami
Herald. In a telcon on January 5, Farmer told DCM that he is
absolutely sure of his diagnosis. Farmer followed up with a
letter to the DCM in which he confirmed his public diagnosis
of early-stage chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Jean-Juste, in
custody awaiting arraignment on weapons charges and for his
alleged involvement in the 2005 kidnapping and murder of
journalist Jacques Roche, has refused an offer to be
transferred to the Canape Vert hospital for diagnosis and
possible treatment under MINUSTAH security. Latortue
declined to speculate on transfer abroad, but told Charge
that Jean-Juste is free to seek the doctor of his choosing to
properly diagnose him. Latortue said that the IGOH needed a
formal diagnosis from a physician, one who was not "a known

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Lavalas supporter" like Farmer. Most importantly, Latortue
requested that any talk of treatment or transfer for either
Neptune or Jean-Juste be kept out of the press to avoid a
reaction from the anti-Lavalas sector in Haiti.

Elections
--------------

4. (C) Latortue told Charge that he, along with SRSG Valdes
and Ambassador Modeste, was pressing the CEP to accept a
first round of February 7, a second round of March 12, and an
inauguration of March 29. These dates, which appear to allow
enough time to resolve most if not all of the outstanding
election obstacles, are also symbolic in that February 7 is
the anniversary of the end of the Duvalier dictatorship while
March 29 is the anniversary of the 1987 Haitian constitution.
However, some members of the CEP, most notably Patrick
Fequiere, have resisted elections in February and continue to
insist on postponing the first round of elections until March
2006 or beyond. We subsequently learned that the January 5
meeting ended with no consensus on election dates.


5. (C) Latortue also reported that he had spoken with
European Community Commissioner Louis Michel by telephone
regarding the electoral calendar. Latortue said that by
asking for Michel's advice on a way out of the electoral date
conundrum, he assuaged Michel and won his support for the
February 7 first round. Latortue said that he mooted his
resignation but was rebuffed by Michel, who told Latortue to
keep pressing for a near-term date.

Comment
--------------

6. (C) The PM faces enormous local opposition to any
compassionate release for Jean-Juste or Neptune. Indeed,
their continued incarceration has generated minimal interest
in Haiti. If the CEP means to delay the elections until
conditions are perfect, elections will never happen.
Moreover, in the course of its nearly two years in authority,
the CEP has demonstrated no ability to use extra time
allotted to it to take action. While problems remain in the
electoral process, a credible, fair and inclusive first-round
election can and should be held on February 7. END COMMENT.
CARNEY