MGHH01 HAITI: PRESIDENT/PRIME MINISTER CALL FOR

UNCLAS PORT AU PRINCE 001313

SENSITIVE
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: AEMR ASEC EAID PGOV HA
SUBJECT: MGHH01 HAITI: PRESIDENT/PRIME MINISTER CALL FOR
BROAD RECONSTRUCTION AFTER HURRICANES/FLOODS

REF: PORT AU PRINCE 1246


1. (U) This message is sensitive but unclassified. Please
handle accordingly.


2. (U) Summary: President Rene Preval and Prime Minister
Michele Duvivier Pierre-Louis are publicly seeking to
redirect international community attention beyond Haiti's
emergency food needs toward the longer-term reconstruction of
the country's battered infrastructure. End Summary.


3. (U) The President and Prime Minister participated in a
September 14 telethon sponsored by the Haitian Chamber of
Commerce and Industry soliciting contributions to help
Haitian victims of the recent series of hurricanes and
floods. The Ambassador also participated in the event.
President Preval said that the Haitian and international
community response to this disaster should focus both on
emergency assistance and ''reconstruction.'' Reconstruction
efforts should focus first on destroyed roads and bridges.
He promised to rally international community support for
Haiti. Preval said he would use his participation in the UN
General Assembly September 25-26 for that purpose, including
the September 25 meeting of Caribbean leaders hosted by
Secretary Rice. The President publicly made a contribution
of 25 thousand Haitian gourdes (USD 625) of his personal
funds to help flood victims. (Note: As of late September
14, the fund drive had collected promised donations of 12
million Haitian gourdes (USD 300,000). End note.)


3. (U) Appearing the previous day before a crowd in Gonaives,
the city hit hardest by recent floods, Prime Minister
Pierre-Louis said that Haiti should use this crisis as an
opportunity to push for "reconstruction." Speaking within
sight of floodwaters that still cover broad swaths of the
city nearly two weeks after the passage of Tropical Storm
Hanna, she urged citizens of Gonaives not to resign
themselves to their fate but to look for opportunities in
this crisis to rebuild their city. The government would have
to find a way to drain water from the large areas of the city
that were still under water that in places was hip-deep. It
would also have to repair road and bridge access to the city
from the south and the capital, first by building a temporary
culvert bridge over the Montrouis River at the town of
Montrouis. She pointed out that some communities remained
cut off, such as the town of Ennery in the Artibonite
Department.


4. (SBU) Comment: The September 14 telethon was the first
public attempt by President Preval to chart a national
recovery strategy. While the President remains in the
capital, the Prime Minister is visiting affected regions,
trying to instill hope and unity, and appealing to the
international community for further aid. Both leaders are
telling their public and the world what is increasingly
obvious on the ground: these storms have created not only the
need for immediate emergency feeding, but also for
longer-term rebuilding.
SANDERSON