NEW HAITI GOVERNMENT OFFICIALLY CONFIRMED BY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PORT AU PRINCE 001246 SIPDIS STATE FOR WHA/CAR, DRL, S/CRS, INR/IAA SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD STATE PASS AID FOR LAC/CAR TREASURY FOR MAUREEN WAFER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL HA SUBJECT: NEW HAITI GOVERNMENT OFFICIALLY CONFIRMED BY SENATE VOTE REF: A) PORT AU PRINCE 1235 B) PORT AU PRINCE 1217 PORT AU PR 00001246 001.2 OF 002 ¶1. Summary: (SBU) The Senate early September 5 voted in favor of the policy declaration of Prime Minister Michele Duvivier Pierre-Louis. Following the positive vote in the Chamber of Deputies August 29, the Pierre-Louis government now officially takes office. End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) In a marathon session lasting nearly eight hours, Prime Minister Michele Duvivier Pierre-Louis received a Senate vote of confidence in her general policy declaration at 2:45 AM on September 5. The vote came after her oral presentation of the government's policy statement, which closely followed the text she had read to the Chamber August 29 (reftel). That was followed by Senators' critiques and questions. She answered each question point by point. Despite the Senate currently having only 18 sitting members in a 30-member chamber (12 Senate seats vacant because of delayed elections for ten seats, plus ONE Senator expelled and ONE having died in office),an absolute majority of 16 was nevertheless required. Senate President Kely Bastien is prohibited by Senate regulations from voting except to break a tie. ¶3. (SBU) The first vote came up short, with 15 in favor with two abstentions. When the result was announced, the chamber erupted into pandemonium. PM Pierre-Louis appeared to be in a state of shock. All had expected that Fusion Senator Edmonde Supplice Beauzile, who has always opposed the current Prime Minister because of her alleged homosexuality, would abstain. She did. However, the abstention of OPL Senator Jean Joseph Pierre-Louis took everyone by surprise. He had been ONE of the most vociferous critics of President Preval for appointing the PM and government prior to Parliament's vote on the government's policy statement, but had been expected to vote in favor of Pierre-Louis' policy statement, in accordance with the OPL party position. ¶4. (SBU) After the first vote, Senate Vice President Andris Riche, also from OPL, requested an intermission and took Senator Pierre-Louis into a back room. When they emerged an hour later, Senator Pierre-Louis declared that in the interest of helping the country solve its dire problems, he would vote for the government. A second vote was held, and the PM's policy declaration received the required 16-vote majority. Senator Beauzile left the chamber and did not vote. Senate President Kely Bastien then declared that following the Senate vote and the earlier vote in the Chamber of Deputy in support of the government policy statement, all constitutional requirements had been met, and that Michele Duvivier Pierre-Louis could begin to lead the government. ¶5. (U) The Senate vote almost foundered on deep opposition in the Senate and most political parties to President Preval's August 24 appointment of the government before the Senate vote to approve the government's policy declaration (ref b). At least nine Senators claimed this violated the constitution. Preval refused their demand to rescind the decree. He poured fuel on the fire by ordering the government, in a September 2 press conference held as reports of catastrophic flood damage to Gonaives and other cities was pouring in, to report to their ministries the next morning to begin disaster management work. The next day, Preval backed away, and had his chief of staff, Fritz Longchamp, issue a statement that the government would not enter into office until the Senate had voted. That appears to have satisfied most of the Senators. Embassy is not aware whether the Senators were also cajoled with promises of positions they have long sought for their party supporters in various ministries. ¶6. (U) Several Senators continued to waiver until the last moment. Senators began trickling into the chamber late in the morning, but it was not clear until the last moment whether all Senators would show up. Senator Youri Latortue had to be ferried from his flood-damaged hometown of Gonaives to the capital by MINUSTAH helicopter the afternoon of the PORT AU PR 00001246 002.2 OF 002 vote. OPL Senators Andris Riche and Jean Joseph Pierre-Louis said the morning of September 4 that they might not vote for the Prime Minister because President Preval was trying to undermine Parliament and the constitution by appointing the Prime Minister and Cabinet before they had parliamentary approval. Ambassador and Poloffs called several of these Senators and their party leaders in the days leading up to the Senate session urging them to attend the session and vote for the government. Embassy argued that Haiti had been without a government for nearly five months, and needed ONE now to address the humanitarian crisis and all the other challenges. In a last-minute twist, Union Senator Fritz Carlos Lebon held the session in suspense by not showing up until almost 5:00 PM. When contacted by Poloff in the early afternoon, he was still refusing to move to the Senate but unwilling to explain why. In the end, we believe it was other Senators and party leaders who convinced the wayward members to show up and vote. 7 (SBU) Embassy will engage promptly with critical ministers in the new government to manage the consequences of the latest sequence of hurricanes, and to address our broader assistance program in health, education, and institution-building, including the institution of parliament. SANDERSON