PARTY LEADERS: NO ELECTIONS/CONSTITUTION CRISIS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PORT AU PRINCE 001754

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
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: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM HA
SUBJECT: PARTY LEADERS: NO ELECTIONS/CONSTITUTION CRISIS

REF: PORT AU PRINCE 1721

PORT AU PR 00001754 001.2 OF 002



1. (U) This cable is sensitive but unclassified. Please
protect accordingly.


2. (U) Summary. Leaders of four principal political
parties and/or alliances -- Lespwa, Fusion, OPL and Alyans --
met with the Ambassador on October 24. There was general
agreement that the President would eventually announce senate
elections, that these would be held under a new Provisional
Electoral Council (CEP),that this body must have members
broadly acceptable, and that Haiti was past the point where
the President could impose a solution over the heads of
parliament and civil society. End Summary.

''Yes'' To Senatorial Elections
--------------


3. (U) OPL Secretary General Edgar LeBlanc, ''Fusion''
Secretary General Serge Gilles, Lespwa Steering Committee

SIPDIS
member Anes Lubin, and ''Alyans'' Secretary General Evans
Paul attended an October 24 breakfast meeting at the
Ambassador's residence to discuss current controversies over
senate elections, appointing a new Provisional Electoral
Council (CEP),and the possibility of amending the
constitution. The leaders were in basic agreement that
elections to renew one-third of the Senate are necessary and
that the Preval government will hold them. They downplayed
notions that the government will indefinitely freeze the
election process or that Preval is scheming to dissolve
Parliament. Evans Paul stated (and the others agreed),that
President Preval neither sought nor was able to impose his
will on these issues against the majority of political
leaders: ''There is no possibility of Haiti returning to
dictatorship.''

But Some Say ''No'' To Indirect Elections
--------------


4. (SBU) There was disagreement among the parties on whether
the indirect elections should be held. Leblanc Fils (OPL)
and Gilles (Fusion) favored adhering to the 1987
constitution, including moving forward with the
decentralization process through indirect elections, which
will put in place a series of local, departmental and
inter-departmental assemblies. Gilles (Fusion) noted that
Preval thus far has ignored the constitutional requirement
for indirect elections, which he does not want. Paul
(Alyans) argued that it is pointless to put in office
additional regional officials when the decentralized
structure of the state is a primary target for constitutional
change. Lubin (Lespwa) reaffirmed that Preval wants to
change the structure of the Haitian state, which Lespwa
supports.

Changing the Constitution
--------------


5. (U) The party leaders concurred that President Preval's
October 17 speech labeling the constitution the principal
source of instability in Haiti has caused considerable
uncertainty. Gilles reiterated that Preval is bound by the
1987 constitution until that constitution is changed, and
that the only legitimate way to amend it is through the
procedures prescribed in the constitution. Lubin of Lespwa
opined that Preval intends to initiate a debate rather than
impose a solution. Lubin claimed that since Preval now
realizes that he does not have a social consensus, he
understands that he cannot impose a change of the
constitution. Paul of Alyans acknowledged that point but
noted that Preval's actions on the constitution and the CEP
have generated a lot of suspicion regarding his true
intentions. All agreed that Preval will in all probability
not seek to discard the constitution and install a
constituent assembly to draft a new one from scratch, but
that he would continue to pursue constitutional reform and
seek a consensus on that issue.


PORT AU PR 00001754 002.2 OF 002


On Reforming the CEP
--------------


6. (SBU) Paul emphasized that there must be a compromise on
the formation of a new Provisional Electoral Council (CEP)
and that the President must not and will not appoint the nine
members on his own authority and thereby control the council.
Party leaders offered no formula for selecting members of a
new CEP. Paul claimed that while Alyans was agnostic
regarding the method for selecting CEP members, it would
insist that the chosen CEP members be acceptable and
credible. Leblanc thought that the new counselors must be
well-known, while Gilles emphasized that they must be
''acceptable to all.'' None of the leaders insisted that
political parties be represented in the new CEP. Paul
emphasized that political parties should not get involved in
organizing elections. Leblanc underscored that that the next
CEP should be the last of the provisional electoral councils,
and that it should organize the indirect elections, which
will culminate in the naming of a Permanent CEP.

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


7. (SBU) These party leaders are concerned by Preval's
October 17 statement about the constitution, but more
optimistic that the immediate challenge of revamping the CEP
and getting senate election preparations underway will be
met. These party leaders believe that Preval has no choice
but to seek a consensus on how to reconstitute the CEP, and
that this decision must come quickly (reftel). The situation
surrounding constitutional reform remains far murkier. We
will continue to urge GOH officials to get Senate elections
out of the way before tackling the constitution.
SANDERSON