SCENESETTER FOR CODEL DURBIN'S DECEMBER 16-19

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 PORT AU PRINCE 001709 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR WHA/EX, WHA/CAR, S/CRS, AND INR/IAA H PLEASE PASS TO SEN. DURBIN'S OFFICE WHA/EX PLEASE PASS TO USOAS SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON USAID OVIP HA SUBJECT: SCENESETTER FOR CODEL DURBIN'S DECEMBER 16-19 VISIT TO HAITI ¶1. (SBU) Summary: Your visit comes as the recently installed government of Prime Minister Michele Pierre-Louis is overseeing disaster relief efforts amidst growing criticism that government assistance is not reaching all who need it. Parliament is becoming increasingly critical of the government. Your meetings will be an opportunity to showcase U.S. support for the government and the new Prime Minister, whose priorities for Haiti coincide with our own, and to assess our assistance efforts firsthand. End summary. Modest Progress Interrupted by Riots, Floods -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Haiti made slow but measurable progress in consolidating political stability and economic growth in the two years following presidential and legislative elections in ¶2006. However, the food riots in April brought political progress to a halt, and the hurricanes and floods of August and September dealt the economy a hard blow. Increases in food and fuel prices that accelerated in late 2007 brought out the worst instincts in Haiti's political actors. Although there was genuine social grievance behind the April protests, many observers believe that much of the associated violence was organized by political forces seeking to oust then-PM Jacques-Edouard Alexis and profit from the resulting instability. The Senate voted to dismiss PM Alexis on April ¶12. ¶3. (SBU) In the five months following Alexis's dismissal, the Haitian government was paralyzed by political gridlock. Parliament rejected two Prime Ministerial candidates on flimsy grounds, in no small part because President Preval refused to bargain with parties and parliamentarians seeking lucrative positions in government. Preval finally lobbied hard for his third nominee, Michele Pierre-Louis, and made promises of party representation in the cabinet and in ministries. In the face of strong public pressure to confirm a government able to respond to the hurricane damage, Parliament confirmed Pierre-Louis on September 5. New Prime Minister Faces Significant Challenges -------------- -- ¶4. (SBU) Although Pierre-Louis lacks the political experience of her predecessor, she seems sincere in her determination to 
reform Haiti's institutions, bring investment to create jobs, fight corruption, have elections according to the constitution's calendar, organize post-hurricane assistance and reconstruction, and establish overall development priorities. Her policy goals align closely with our own for Haiti. However, she took office just as the staggering dimensions of damage caused by four tropical storms and hurricanes became clear. While previous natural disasters have affected a limited area of the country, these storms caused serious damage in eight of Haiti's ten departments. The flooding killed almost 800 people and affected nearly 800,000, crippled the country's transportation infrastructure, devastated livestock and crops, and reduced economic growth for 2008 to a projected 1-1.5 percent. A school collapse in Port-au-Prince November 7 that killed over 100 students and teachers only added to Haiti's woes. ¶5. (SBU) The unprecedented storm damage created a temporary climate of political good will toward the Prime Minister and her government. She acted decisively in her first weeks in office. She and the President jointly declared a state of emergency and allocated nearly USD 200 million, the entire proceeds to date of Haiti's sales of petroleum products provided under Venezuela's Petrocaraibe initiative, for emergency relief and reconstruction. ¶6. (SBU) The security situation in Haiti remains a source of concern, although the current level of crime and instability represents a marked improvement over recent years, thanks in large part to the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH). MINUSTAH, which comprises nearly 9,000 soldiers and police officers and over 500 international civilians, has bought the Haitian government time to strengthen the Haitian National Police, make progress on PORT AU PR 00001709 002 OF 004 judicial reform, and improve the ability of the state to provide basic services to its citizens. Growing Tensions with Parliament -------------- ¶7. (SBU) Pierre-Louis's brief honeymoon with Parliament following her confirmation in September is already over. Members of Parliament, under intense pressure from their constituents to bring needed aid and projects to their home districts, are frustrated by the limited visibility of the government's disaster relief efforts to date. Accusations are mounting that aid is not reaching intended recipients. Mayors and other local officials are accused of directing GOH-funded disaster aid for political purposes or diverting it into their own pockets. (Note: Foreign disaster relief is often channeled through independent NGO implementers, not the GOH, primarily due to the lack of government capacity. End note.) ¶8. (SBU) As a result, Preval and Pierre-Louis have faced criticism from across the political spectrum over the government's handling of emergency funds. Although President Preval's Lespwa coalition is the Parliament's largest party, support for the government in the legislature is slowly eroding. The Senate and Chamber of Deputies summoned Pierre-Louis to Parliament December 2, and the Senate announced the upcoming interpellation of Finance Minister Daniel Dorsainvil. While Pierre-Louis performed ably before the Parliament, she did not entirely diffuse the frustration of Senators and Deputies, some of whom may sense political opportunity in the government's difficulties. Although the interpellation of Dorsainvil has been postponed, there is little sign that pressure from Parliament will relent. ¶9. (SBU) Pierre-Louis also shares an uneasy cohabitation with President Preval; the Haitian constitution does not clearly delineate how the responsibilities of the two executive offices are divided. Most of the new government's ministers are longtime Preval associates, and press reports surfaced in November that Pierre-Louis had to beat back the President's initiative to replace certain ministers in her cabinet. A Few Bright Spots -------------- ¶10. (SBU) The government has a few talented people. Minister of Economy and Finance Daniel Dorsainvil is a solid economic policy-maker, although he does not always coordinate with the Prime Minister. Newly appointed Minister of Justice and Public Security Jean Joseph Exume appears determined to pursue judicial reform, prosecute corruption cases, and enforce work discipline on malingering judges. Minister of Planning Jean Max Bellerive is an able administrator. Yet even the best ministers lack the staff and the financing to implement good policies. Uncertainty Lingers Around Parliamentary Elections -------------- -------------- ¶11. (SBU) Amidst the disaster recovery efforts, the Haitian government is making halting efforts to hold long-overdue Senatorial elections to fill 12 vacant seats in the 30-member body. The elections should have been held in late 2007, and the absence of the Senators has hobbled the Senate, where 16 of the 18 members must be present to achieve a quorum. The Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) recently set April 19, 2009 as the date for the elections, although the date has yet to be finalized by a presidential decree. There are still no plans to organize or finance the next set of elections, for the entire Chamber of Deputies and a second third of the Senate, in late 2009. Indirect elections to fill a number of local government posts are also long overdue. ¶12. (SBU) The Prime Minister strongly supports the April 2009 elections, although she and many others are aware of the CEP's weak institutional capacity and its need for robust technical assistance from the international community. The PORT AU PR 00001709 003 OF 004 elections are estimated to cost around USD 16.5 million, of which USD 11 million will be provided by the USG and other international donors. Some observers have expressed doubts, however, about President Preval's commitment to the election process, and his failure thus far to sign the decree formally fixing the election date has only encouraged speculation. Preval's critics, as well as some of his allies, have noted his longstanding criticism of Haiti's current constitution as a source of instability and have speculated that Preval wants a pause in the elections process to build consensus for dramatic constitutional reform. ¶13. (SBU) Your visit will be an opportunity to show our support for the government and for U.S. assistance in Haiti. So would a Pierre-Louis visit to Washington, which we continue to encourage her to undertake at the earliest opportunity. The Assistance Picture: Rule of Law/Governance -------------- -- ¶14. (U) Your visit will also allow you to review our assistance priorities in Haiti. Our assistance efforts in Haiti -- financed by USAID, CDC, the State Department,s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL/NAS),and the U.S. Coast Guard -- seek to implement reforms, build public institutions, improve law enforcement and corrections capability, and help deliver basic services. Rule of Law programs target Haiti's justice system by helping increasing judicial authorities' administrative, management and technical capacity. Good Governance programs provide technical assistance and training to Haiti's Parliament in the areas of legislative drafting, legal and judicial reform, and rules of procedure. Programs aimed at conflict mitigation address poverty and gang-related violence through creation of short- and long-term employment and transfer of job skills trough labor-intensive reconstruction of social and productive infrastructure. Another program targets the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) to help it solidify its organization and modernize the voter registration process. Civil society programs assist a variety of local media, regional journalist associations, and public service associations, including those that monitor corruption. Humanitarian Assistance -------------- ¶15. (U) The steep rise in food prices in 2008 followed by the four hurricanes sharply exacerbated Haiti's chronic food insecurity, to which approximately 3 million Haitians are now exposed. USAID contributed USD 45 million in emergency food aid and another USD 14 million for post-hurricane recovery. USAID is continuing its programs to build disaster early warning, response and mitigation capacity. The Ambassador officiated in November at the ground-breaking ceremony for an Emergency Operations Center for Haiti's disaster response agencies. Following the hurricanes, Congress appropriated an additional USD 96 million over three years for the restoration of public services, repairs to public use infrastructure, provision of income-generating activities, asset restoration, and support to affected families. Health and Education/Economic Growth -------------- ¶16. (U) Basic health programs help increase access to essential health services in 72 public sector clinics and 80 NGO clinics. Nearly 50 percent of Haiti's population receives at least some health services financed by the USG. USAID-financed education programs include a new basic education project to strengthen the Ministry of Education's management and supervisory system, help it extend supervision over the vast private-sector education system, and provide scholarships. Social assistance programs support Haiti's most vulnerable citizens. Economic growth programs target trade and investment, financial sector programs for small and medium enterprises, and programs for agricultural productivity and marketing. Reducing environmental degradation is the goal of USD 7 million in programs that PORT AU PR 00001709 004 OF 004 focus on restoring watersheds that are the source of periodic flooding. HIV/AIDS Relief -------------- ¶17. (U) The President,s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) will provide just short of USD 100 million in FY 2009 to prevent infections and put HIV-positive persons into treatment. Implemented by USAID and CDC, PEPFAR programs target HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, but also benefit large parts of Haiti's health care system. Haiti has the highest rate of HIV/AIDS infection in the Western Hemisphere. Police Reform/Corrections -------------- ¶18. (SBU) The U.S. is the lead donor in implementing the MINUSTAH police reform plan, which foresees building up the Haitian National Police (HNP) from its current strength of 9,000 to 14,000 officers by 2011. In concert with MINUSTAH's mandate to enhance Haiti's border security, the U.S. Coast Guard provides training for the Haitian Coast Guard, financed by INL/NAS. The U.S. made a commitment in 2007 to assist in improving the conditions and respect for human rights in Haiti's prison system, and remains the lead donor to Haiti. SANDERSON