LAVALAS SENATOR APPEALS FOR RECONCILIATION

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PORT AU PRINCE 000723 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR WHA/CAR DRL S/CRS SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD STATE PASS TO USAID FOR LAC/CAR INR/IAA TREASURY FOR JEFFREY LEVINE E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/05/2017 TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM ASEC PINR HA SUBJECT: LAVALAS SENATOR APPEALS FOR RECONCILIATION REF: A. 06 PORT AU PRINCE 1250 ¶B. 06 PORT AU PRINCE 1028 PORT AU PR 00000723 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: Ambassador Janet A. Sanderson for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d ). ¶1. (C) Summary: Senator Rudy Herivaux (Famni Lavalas (FL), West Department) laments that Lavalas partisans feel left out of the political process. The party has practically no links to the executive branch and plays a limited role in parliament. Herivaux criticized the Prime Minister for his unresponsiveness to the country's needs and objected that the president of the national assembly, Joseph Lambert, makes ''unilateral decisions.'' He asked for USG assistance in the release of two prisoners implicated in the February, 2004 La Scirie massacre. The FL banner retains some cache around the country, but without an identifiable leader and program, prospects for its return as a significant political force are slim. End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) Herivaux stressed that his party needs a minister who waves the Lavalas flag. Minister of Planning, Jean-Max Bellerive, broke free of Lavalas party ties shortly after becoming a minister with Lavalas' support. (Note: As FL's putative representative in the cabinet, Bellerive is in fact an associate of Marc Bazin, and identifies as the FL minister as a result of Bazin's allegiance with FL for the presidential campaign. End note.) Lavalas activists are especially concerned about its lack of ties with the executive, as the other major parties enjoy at least informal contact with one minister, Herivaux explained. ¶3. (U) Reportedly, there are few Lavalas senators and deputies because the party had initially planned to boycott the elections. Lavalas' closest allies in parliament are Union, Alliance, and MRN. There is an internal struggle for control of Lavalas, since its leader, former President Aristide, is no longer in the country, but none of the contenders outside of elected officials are likely candidates. Herivaux asserted that the real leaders today are the elected officials, primarily himself. ¶4. (SBU) According to Herivaux, the nine Lavalas parliamentarians (three senators and six deputies) are among the loudest voices calling for the Prime Minister to take the initiatives he has promised the country to increase employment opportunities and lower the cost of living. He said that short of a vote of no confidence for the Prime Minister, the GoH should initiate a ministerial level change. Except for the ministers of social affairs, environment, public works and finance, this government needs a shake-up. He also derided Joseph Lambert who makes too many decisions unilaterally and does not consult his colleagues on important issues. ¶5. (C) Herivaux said that Lavalasians are concerned with the imprisoned Amanus Mayette and Ronald Dauphin, who are implicated in the La Scirie massacre. He pointed out that the two men are the last remaining ''well-known'' prisoners awaiting trial for the massacre. (Note: Allegedly, armed supporters of President Aristide killed members of an opposition organization in February 2004 in the city of St. Marc. End note.) Lavalas partisans have demarched the minister of justice and made comments to the press, but no movement has been made toward their release. (Note: According to Pierre Esperence of the National Network for Human Rights, three prisoners remain in prison for the La Scirie massacre: Mayette, Dauphin, and Hora Jean Baptiste. A fourth, Juan Carolos Lormejuste, died in prison in February. Ronald Dauphin escaped in 2005, but the police re-arrested him in 2006 for kidnapping. End note.) ¶6. (C) Comment: Herivaux aspires to become the acknowledged leader of a re-invented FL, moderating the party's image and diminishing its association with Aristide. Having displayed personal courage in stepping forward to lead a group of Lavalas politicians in participating in the national PORT AU PR 00000723 002.2 OF 002 elections, presumably against Aristide's wishes, he has been a close embassy contact over the past two years. With limited influence in parliament and scant hope of obtaining a ''real'' FL member in the cabinet, Herivaux is waging his campaign from a position of weakness. Though militant Lavalasians who maintain loyalty to Aristide have likewise failed to generate significant public support, the resulting lack of direction has left the FL splintered and purposeless, a national political party in name only. SANDERSON