Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08PORTAUPRINCE115
2008-01-23 19:56:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Port Au Prince
Cable title:
CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES RE-ELECTS JEAN-JACQUES TO
how-toVZCZCXRO9332 PP RUEHQU DE RUEHPU #0115 0231956 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 231956Z JAN 08 FM AMEMBASSY PORT AU PRINCE TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7542 INFO RUEHZH/HAITI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 1762 RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA PRIORITY 1570 RUEHQU/AMCONSUL QUEBEC PRIORITY 0993 RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM J2 MIAMI FL PRIORITY RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 1403
C O N F I D E N T I A L PORT AU PRINCE 000115
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: 01/23/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM KCOR HA
SUBJECT: CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES RE-ELECTS JEAN-JACQUES TO
PRESIDENCY
REF: 06 PORT AU PRINCE 0088
Classified By: Ambassador Janet A. Sanderson for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d
).
C O N F I D E N T I A L PORT AU PRINCE 000115
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: 01/23/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM KCOR HA
SUBJECT: CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES RE-ELECTS JEAN-JACQUES TO
PRESIDENCY
REF: 06 PORT AU PRINCE 0088
Classified By: Ambassador Janet A. Sanderson for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d
).
1. (U) Summary: For the third year in a row, the Chamber of
Deputies elected Eric Jean-Jacques to the presidency of
Parliament's lower house. The four deputies elected to other
leadership positions in the Chamber are new to the executive
bureau. Jean-Jacques' challenger for the presidency, Patrick
Domond, privately claims there was fraud and bribery in the
election process. The vote for the presidency split along
the lines of two distinct coalitions that have formed in the
absence of an absolute majority of any party. With
Jean-Jacques' continuing weak leadership, we doubt the
Chamber will be more organized or effective in the coming
year. End summary.
2. (SBU) Deputy Eric Jean-Jacques (Lespwa/Port-au-Prince,
West) defeated Deputy Patrick Domond (Lespwa/Jacmel,
Southeast) by a vote of 55 to 35 in the January 15 vote for
President of the Chamber of Deputies. Jean-Jacques has
served as President of the Chamber since 2006. He spent over
a month receiving medical treatment in Cuba toward the end of
2007, reportedly for prostate cancer. Also on January 15,
the deputies elected Eloune Doreus (OPL/Mole St Nicolas,
Northwest) Vice President; Gerandale Telusma
(MOCHRENHA/Gros-Morne, Artibonite) First Secretary; Steven
Benoit (Lespwa/Petionville, West) Second Secretary; and
Cholzer Chancy (LAAA/Ennery, Artibonite) Treasurer/Chief of
Administration. Chancy studied economics and is close to
Senator Youri Latortue, the founder of the party ''Artibonite
in Action,'' and a very active Senator with Presidential
ambitions. Benoit is an avid supporter and former
brother-in-law of President Preval.
3. (U) Deputies Jean-Jacques and Doreus are members of the
''Group of 60,'' a faction of deputies from diverse parties
that have informally agreed to act as a bloc. Domond's
''opposition'' group, numbering approximately 45, is the
Coalition of Progressive Parliamentarians (CPA). Telusma,
Benoit and Chancy are members of the CPA. As of yet, the two
coalitions have not carried over their alliance into votes on
legislation, but they do band together in matters pertaining
to the administration of the Chamber.
4. (C) Following his loss, Deputy Domond (protect) asserted
to Poloff January 18 that Deputy Jean-Jacques and former
treasurer Deputy Maxeau Balthazar fixed the bureau election
by giving special favors to deputies in exchange for their
votes. Domond's examples included Jean-Jacques'
authorization of car rentals and foreign travel for his
supporters, as well as Balthazar's tendency to ''look the
other way'' in distributing per diem payments. Domond also
reported rumors that Balthazar and Jean-Jacques offered
certain deputies up to USD 100,000 for their votes. Domond
disclosed that he is awaiting a report on the previous
bureau's financial activities before going public with his
accusations and bringing a formal complaint against
Jean-Jacques.
5. (C) Comment: Rumors of corrupt behavior have circulated
throughout Jean-Jacques and Balthazar's two years in the
bureau. Similar accusations of bribery surfaced following
their 2007 re-election (reftel). We cannot yet assess
whether Balthazar's loss to Deputy Chancy is a signal that
the majority of deputies are fed up with his favoritism and
poor management of Chamber accounts. However, Jean-Jacques'
reelection despite his poor health and widespread rumors of
his corrupt practices raise doubts about the election's
integrity. The larger issues are Jean-Jacques' poor track
record as a leader, including his frequent inability to
inspire sufficient deputies to show up for work to obtain a
quorum. Post will emphasize with the new bureau,
particularly the new treasurer, the importance of
transparency in bureau operations.
SANDERSON
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: 01/23/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM KCOR HA
SUBJECT: CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES RE-ELECTS JEAN-JACQUES TO
PRESIDENCY
REF: 06 PORT AU PRINCE 0088
Classified By: Ambassador Janet A. Sanderson for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d
).
1. (U) Summary: For the third year in a row, the Chamber of
Deputies elected Eric Jean-Jacques to the presidency of
Parliament's lower house. The four deputies elected to other
leadership positions in the Chamber are new to the executive
bureau. Jean-Jacques' challenger for the presidency, Patrick
Domond, privately claims there was fraud and bribery in the
election process. The vote for the presidency split along
the lines of two distinct coalitions that have formed in the
absence of an absolute majority of any party. With
Jean-Jacques' continuing weak leadership, we doubt the
Chamber will be more organized or effective in the coming
year. End summary.
2. (SBU) Deputy Eric Jean-Jacques (Lespwa/Port-au-Prince,
West) defeated Deputy Patrick Domond (Lespwa/Jacmel,
Southeast) by a vote of 55 to 35 in the January 15 vote for
President of the Chamber of Deputies. Jean-Jacques has
served as President of the Chamber since 2006. He spent over
a month receiving medical treatment in Cuba toward the end of
2007, reportedly for prostate cancer. Also on January 15,
the deputies elected Eloune Doreus (OPL/Mole St Nicolas,
Northwest) Vice President; Gerandale Telusma
(MOCHRENHA/Gros-Morne, Artibonite) First Secretary; Steven
Benoit (Lespwa/Petionville, West) Second Secretary; and
Cholzer Chancy (LAAA/Ennery, Artibonite) Treasurer/Chief of
Administration. Chancy studied economics and is close to
Senator Youri Latortue, the founder of the party ''Artibonite
in Action,'' and a very active Senator with Presidential
ambitions. Benoit is an avid supporter and former
brother-in-law of President Preval.
3. (U) Deputies Jean-Jacques and Doreus are members of the
''Group of 60,'' a faction of deputies from diverse parties
that have informally agreed to act as a bloc. Domond's
''opposition'' group, numbering approximately 45, is the
Coalition of Progressive Parliamentarians (CPA). Telusma,
Benoit and Chancy are members of the CPA. As of yet, the two
coalitions have not carried over their alliance into votes on
legislation, but they do band together in matters pertaining
to the administration of the Chamber.
4. (C) Following his loss, Deputy Domond (protect) asserted
to Poloff January 18 that Deputy Jean-Jacques and former
treasurer Deputy Maxeau Balthazar fixed the bureau election
by giving special favors to deputies in exchange for their
votes. Domond's examples included Jean-Jacques'
authorization of car rentals and foreign travel for his
supporters, as well as Balthazar's tendency to ''look the
other way'' in distributing per diem payments. Domond also
reported rumors that Balthazar and Jean-Jacques offered
certain deputies up to USD 100,000 for their votes. Domond
disclosed that he is awaiting a report on the previous
bureau's financial activities before going public with his
accusations and bringing a formal complaint against
Jean-Jacques.
5. (C) Comment: Rumors of corrupt behavior have circulated
throughout Jean-Jacques and Balthazar's two years in the
bureau. Similar accusations of bribery surfaced following
their 2007 re-election (reftel). We cannot yet assess
whether Balthazar's loss to Deputy Chancy is a signal that
the majority of deputies are fed up with his favoritism and
poor management of Chamber accounts. However, Jean-Jacques'
reelection despite his poor health and widespread rumors of
his corrupt practices raise doubts about the election's
integrity. The larger issues are Jean-Jacques' poor track
record as a leader, including his frequent inability to
inspire sufficient deputies to show up for work to obtain a
quorum. Post will emphasize with the new bureau,
particularly the new treasurer, the importance of
transparency in bureau operations.
SANDERSON