MAJORITY OF CEP PLEDGE SUPPORT FOR BERNARD

C O N F I D E N T I A L PORT AU PRINCE 000365 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR WHA/CAR, DRL, S/CRS SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD STATE PASS AID FOR LAC/CAR E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/23/2016 TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM PKAO EAID HA SUBJECT: MAJORITY OF CEP PLEDGE SUPPORT FOR BERNARD Classified By: CDA Douglas Griffiths. Reasons 1.4 b and d. ¶1. (C) Summary: Six of nine members of Haiti's Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) reaffirmed their support for the CEP's Director General Jacques Bernard in a public letter February 23. CEP president chief of staff Duchatelier told poloff February 22 that Jacques Bernard was indispensable for the successful conclusion of the electoral process and made a plea for the USG to encourage Bernard's return as soon as possible. After Bernard's February 19 departure from Haiti to the US, the CEP named a three member commission to oversee the process in his absence focusing on the completion of vote tabulations for the legislative races Acting PM told Charge February 22 that the IGOH could not fire the recalcitrant CEP counselors Duchemin and Fequiere at this late stage. End Summary. ¶2. (C) Under the direction of President Max Mathurin, the CEP drafted a letter February 20 lauding Bernard's accomplishments and expressing the CEP's unequivocal support for Bernard. The CEP released the letter to the media on February 23. Duchemin, Fequiere, and fellow CEP member Gerson Richme refused to sign the letter of support. Duchemin told poloff that he had not been permitted to attend the CEP meeting wherein the drafting of the letter was discussed. He claimed to have been locked out of the conference room along with Fequiere and Richme. He said the three were presented with the letter for signature as fait accompli. ¶3. (C) The six CEP members who signed the letter - Mathurin, Benoit, Pradel, Jean, Gauthier, and Jean-Baptiste - cited Bernard's honesty in overseeing the electoral operations and praised him for helping Haiti to get through a "difficult crossroads." The counselors went on to say that accusations leveled against Mr. Bernard were unfounded and the work of those who sought to further destabilize the country. In a meeting with poloff February 22, Paul Duchatellier, Mathurin's chief of staff, requested that the USG strongly encourage Bernard's return to Haiti as soon as possible to continue his work with the CEP and to successfully conclude this electoral process. Duchatellier assured poloff of the majority of the CEP's unequivocal support for Bernard. ¶4. (C) In other action this week, the CEP named a three person commission to oversee electoral operations during Bernard's absence, made up of Benoit, Pradel, and Duchemin. The primary focus of this commission is reportedly to supervise the final vote tabulations for the legislative races. Duchatellier told poloff that the commission was only intended as an interim measure pending Bernard's return to Haiti. As of the evening of February 22, MINUSTAH officials report that 97% of the votes for both senators and deputies are completed. The CEP should receive the final tallies by the end of February 23. ¶5. (C) Comment: Bernard's managerial style and business-like attitude ruffled feathers and offended the already defensive egos of the most of the CEP members at one point or another. However, the majority realize that it is only thorough Bernard's direction that the election on February 7 happened at all. Duchemin's animosity, seemingly personal, toward Bernard is squandering the capital he gained as the early hero of the CEP due to his work on the voter registration project. Fequiere's stand in contradiction to the majority of the CEP on the issue of support for Bernard, while disappointing, is to be expected due to his contrarian reputation since the inception of the electoral process. Richme is a follower, unfortunately he is a follower of Duchemin and Fequiere. We will work with our allies in the UN and other missions to convince the IGOH that Bernard is indispensable for a successful second round. End comment. GRIFFITHS