HAITI MONTHLY: AUGUST, 2007

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PORT AU PRINCE 001451

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR WHA/EX AND WHA/CAR
S/CRS
SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD
STATE PASS AID FOR LAC/CAR
INR/IAA
WHA/EX PLEASE PASS USOAS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/29/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV ECON HA KPKO
SUBJECT: HAITI MONTHLY: AUGUST, 2007

REF: PORT AU PRINCE 1240

PORT AU PR 00001451 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: Ambassador Janet A. Sanderson, reasons 1.5(b) and (d).


1. (U) Summary: This is a monthly report on various topics of
interest which do not merit a full reporting cable. End
summary.


2. (SBU) PROMINENT LAVALAS ACTIVIST DISAPPEARS. The Haitian
media reports that Lovinsky Pierre-Antoine, Lavalas leader
and potential senatorial candidate in November's upcoming
election, disappeared on August 12th and may have been
kidnapped. Pierre-Antoine disappeared around 10:00 PM after
departing from a meeting with a human rights delegation from
Foundation Mapou and the Haiti Priority Project. (Note:
Poloff met with the same delegation on Friday, August 17 at
the chancery. End note). The HNP found Pierre-Antoine's car
abandoned, with a shirt and CDs on the seat, on Delmas 10 in
Port-au-Prince. On Monday, August 13, the supposed kidnapper
called demanding USD 300,000 for his release. The Haitian
media has not reported any further contacts with the
kidnapper. Embassy contacts increasingly suspect this may
not be a genuine kidnapping, since there have been no
reported negotiations over ransom amount and payment, or any
further pleas for help from family members, which typify
kidnappings in Haiti. The HNP reports no leads.


3. (C) PRIME MINISTER SUPPORTS SENATE ELECTIONS BY DEADLINE,
INDIRECT ELECTIONS NEXT YEAR. PM Alexis told the Ambassador
on August 28 that he supports holding elections for one-third
of the Senate by January 2008 as mandated by the constitution
(reftel) and is awaiting President Preval's decision on the
matter. However, he and the President believe Haiti is not
ready for indirect elections this year, but stated those
would be held next year. Since without indirect elections
there can be no Permanent Electoral Council (CEP),Alexis
said the idea had been floated to allow political parties to
nominate counselors for a new Provisional Electoral Council,
from which Preval would select the nine final counselors.
Alexis stated that it is the Prime Minister who is charged
with nominating a Director General of the CEP, be it
permanent or provisional. The Ambassador emphasized the
importance of having all constitutionally-mandated elections
held on time. Setting the gears in motion for Senate
elections still awaits Preval's action.


4. (C) PRO-ARISTIDE PRIEST RETURNS TO HAITI, NOT SEEN AS
THREAT. Self-described Jean-Bertrand Aristide representative
Father Gerard Jean-Juste returned to Haiti for a few days in
mid-August after nearly two years of exile in Miami,
declaring he would continue to mobilize support for the
return of Aristide to Haiti. (Note: Jean-Juste faces
criminal charges in Haiti related to activities under the
Aristide regime, but was released from custody in January
2006 to seek treatment for leukemia. End note). On August
28, PM Alexis told the Ambassador that Jean-Juste personally
contacted him during Alexis' recent visit to Miami and
confided that he was continuing medical treatment in Florida
for his leukemia. Alexis said he is not at all concerned
that Jean-Juste could become a destabilizing factor. MINUSTAH
reported to POL Couns on Aug 29 that Jean-Juste had since
left the country.


5. (U) MAYOR OF CITE SOLEIL GRIPES ABOUT USG, THEN RECANTS.
Mayor of Cite Soleil Wilson Louis was quoted in the Haitian
press on August 21 stating that he has not yet ''seen the
color'' of the USD 20 million promised to Cite Soleil by the
USG, referring to the Haiti Stabilization Initiative (HSI)
funds. When HSI Deputy StabCoord confronted Mayor Louis on
August 23 about his blatantly untrue comments, Louis claimed
he had been misquoted but proceeded to request that HSI roll
out programming more quickly. (Comment: The previous week,
on August 17, Mayor Louis stood with Embassy staff at an
HSI-funded sports camp and thanked the USG for its support.
Louis often complains publicly about lack of projects in Cite
Soleil, but generally back-pedals in private conversations.
This may simply be an attempt to goad donors into doing more
for his community, but nonetheless the tactic is frustrating
to the HSI team and others working in the area. End
comment.)

PORT AU PR 00001451 002.2 OF 002




6. (U) SOLAR-POWERED TRAFFIC LIGHTS. Director of Political
Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Weiner
Jean-Baptiste told Poloff on August 7 that the Ministry of
Transportation (MoT) has purchased new solar-powered traffic
lights from Spain. The MoT is in the process of installing
the lights in Port-au-Prince and Cap Haitien, then will
expand installation to other cities throughout the country
thereafter. According to Weiner, the MoT will complete
installation before the beginning of the school year.
Enforcement of fines for drivers who disobey the new lights
will go into effect in October. Jean-Baptiste noted that the
currently unsynchronized traffic light patterns, however, are
bound to cause heavier traffic congestion.


7. (U) CANADA OFFERS HURRICANE RELIEF. Following 9 fatalities
and severe property damage caused by Hurricane Dean, the
Canadian Minister of International Cooperation announced on
August 21 that the Canadian government will provide Haiti
with USD $2 million in humanitarian assistance. The aid will
supplement disaster relief efforts of NGO's and international
humanitarian organizations.


8. (U) CUSTOMS WORKERS STRIKE (BRIEFLY) AT NATIONAL PORT.
Customs workers at Haiti's National Port Authority (APN)
staged a day-long strike on August 9. APN customs employees
staged the strike to protest the August 8 arrest of two
customs employees in connection with the imprisonment of
prominent Haitian businessmen Fritz and David Brandt on
charges of customs fraud. Port operations resumed as normal
on August 10.


9. (SBU) DEFENSE MINISTERS CONVENE ON MINUSTAH. The Defense
Ministers of nine Latin countries with contingents in
MINUSTAH will convene in Port-au-Prince, Sept. 4-5 to discuss
the peace-keeping operation. MINUSTAH Political Adviser Le
Chevalier says the SRSG will try to organize a separate
meeting of Core Group representatives with the Ministers
during their stay in Haiti. (Note: The same countries'
deputy defense ministers are conferring in Guatemala on
August 31, where US or Canadian representatives will
participate as observers. End note.)
SANDERSON