LAVALAS FEELS LEFT OUT BY PREVAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PORT AU PRINCE 000832

SIPDIS

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: DECL: 05/11/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL HA
SUBJECT: LAVALAS FEELS LEFT OUT BY PREVAL

Classified By: Janet A. Sanderson for Reasons 1.4 b and d.


1. (C) Summary: Newly-elected Lavalas parliamentarians Rudy
Heriveaux, Coffy Jonas, and Sorel Francois complain that
Preval has excluded Lavalas in his outreach to other
political parties and the development of his 25-year plan.
Lavalas is, nevertheless, still ready to work with Preval on
mutual goals. They recognize the negative impact Aristide's
return would have for the country, and will advocate on his
behalf. These three were among a larger group of Lavalas
members who broke ranks with more militant Lavalas members in
the summer of 2005 committing to participation in the
electoral process and ever since have made a point of
communicating their unwavering commitment to democratic
principles to the Embassy. End Summary.

--------------
Lavalas Deserves a Role
--------------


2. (SBU) Lavalas senator-elect Rudy Heriveaux, and
deputies-elect Coffy Jonas and Sorel Francois, all from the
West Department (Port-au-Prince),on April 27 met with poloff
to discuss their views on Preval's, Parliament's, and
Aristide's upcoming agenda. Heriveaux stated that Lavalas
wanted to promote a democratic Haiti alongside Preval, but
admitted that Preval has shown no sign that he is willing to
work with Lavalas, despite the obvious Lavalas and L'Espwa
connection. According to Heriveaux, Lavalas and Lespwa are
the same, characterzing L'Espwa as "simply the branch of the
Lavalas root." Without Lavalas support, Lespwa could not
succeed politically. Preval was obligated to approach
Parliamentarians from the Lavalas party because they were
insiders and not fringe members of the population.


3. (SBU) Jonas and Francois stated that it was up to Preval
to create a coalition government. Even if Preval did not
reach out to Lavalas members, they would still forge a
working relationship with the new administration. All three
declared that as elected representatives, they would engage
with the other members of parliament in order to advance the
interests of their constituents. Lavalas had three
priorities; job creation, protection of the environment, and
national dialogue. Francois added that education and the
investment in Haitian youth was also very important and
decentralization should be at the top of the agenda for
Parliament.


4. (SBU) These priorities were consistent with Preval,s, and
for this reason they will try to reach out to him. If
Preval's programs did not meet their consitutents' needs,
however, they would oppose him, though only through
democratic means. Jonas underscored that Preval was elected
by the people, as were Lavalas members, and both sides must
transform the country peacefully. Because so many political
parties gained representation in the Parliament, this was an
opportunity for broad-based cooperation.


5. (SBU) When asked for their views on Preval,s 25-year
plan, they are quick to point out that they are not familiar
with the plan because Preval had not yet sought input from
Lavalas. Heriveaux took the opportunity to stress yet again
that if not for Lavalas, Preval would not have won.
&Lavalas permitted Preval to have a second mandate. We
worked to put these people where they are and now we are
considered outsiders. Without Lavalas, the elections would
have lacked validity.8

--------------
Aristide
--------------


6. (C) Without prompting, the three raised the issue of
Aristide. They said that his return would not be beneficial,
despite internal Lavalas pressures to bring him back. They
affirmed that there were members of the Haitian diaspora who
were actively planning an Aristide return. However, in their
opinion, which they presented as Lavalas' internal position,
&there are pros and cons (to his return) but his presence
would lead to destabilization.8

PORT AU PR 00000832 002 OF 002




7. (C) Comment. While the former Lavalas base rallied to
vote for Preval, the president elect has indeed kept his
distance from Lavalas elected officials. Heriveaux and
company feel they deserve better. Though none of them were
model democrats in the past, their relatively small group
showed personal courage in breaking with militant Aristide
supporters in committing to the the electoral process.
Though circumspect in talking about him, they surely assume
that they are out of Aristide's favor and that their
political futures depend on his absence. If Preval will not
have them, who will? End Comment.
SANDERSON