MINISTER OF CULTURE SUBMITS RESIGNATION

UNCLAS PORT AU PRINCE 001407

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E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL KCOR KDEM HA
SUBJECT: MINISTER OF CULTURE SUBMITS RESIGNATION

REF: PORT AU PRINCE 1329


1. (U) This message is sensitive but unclassified -- please
protect accordingly.


2. (SBU) Summary: Minister of Culture Daniel Elie submitted
his resignation to President Preval on August 9 following a
vote of no confidence against the Minister in the Chamber of
Deputies on July 31 (reftel). After a two-week standoff with
Parliament over the vote, public pressure prompted Elie to
submit his resignation. Although Preval still appears
unwilling to meet Parliament's demands to reshuffle the
Cabinet, acceptance of Elie's resignation signals that he
appears to realize that sustained tension with Parliament
would weaken the executive and undermine his anti-corruption
campaign. Strident threats by the deputies to target other
ministers with the same measure may have influenced his
decision to concede. End summary.


3. (SBU) Minister of Culture Daniel Elie submitted his
resignation to President Preval on August 9, following a vote
of no confidence against the minister in the Chamber of
Deputies on July 31 (reftel). Since the vote, public
pressure has been mounting for Preval to dismiss Elie. In
open letters to President Preval and Prime Minister Alexis on
August 4, Elie protested the decision of the Parliament and
requested the government investigate the charges against him
and publish the results. This touched off a public
constitutional debate, with political experts such as
Myrlande Manigat publicly stating that Elie was required by
the constitution to step down immediately. (Note: Manigat is
a constitutional authority and leader of the opposition party
Assembly of Progressive National Democrats. End note.) Other
legal experts fueled the debate on the radio, proclaiming
that Elie's resignation letter was "superfluous and
unnecessary" since according the Constitution, it is
obligatory to step down the moment after parliament passes a
vote of no confidence. In such cases, they underscored, the
president has no choice and must comply with the decision.


4. (U) In a widely published letter of response to Elie
written on August 13, Preval accepted his resignation, but
requested he remain in office to manage the Ministry's daily
operations until a successor is designated. He said
furthermore that the investigation Elie demanded is underway,
and promised the results would be published soon. Finally,
the President thanked Elie for his contributions to the fight
against corruption and vowed to fight corruption of all forms
in every area of state activity.


5. (SBU) The Chamber of Deputies, meanwhile, has moved on to
a new target, threatening to pass a vote of no confidence
against Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean Renald Clerisme.
The deputies claim Clerisme has done nothing to fight
corruption in his ministry.


6. (SBU) Comment: Preval's initial refusal to dismiss Elie
(reftel),in clear defiance of Parliament's demands, raised
the possibility of a long-term standoff between the President
and the Parliament. Elie's resignation calms the waters for
now, but the deputies continue to demand changes to the
Cabinet, a move that is unlikely to warm relations between
the executive and the parliament.
TIGHE