PREVAL NAMES BOB MANUEL PRIME MINISTER DESIGNATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PORT AU PRINCE 000763 SIPDIS STATE FOR WHA/CAR, DRL, S/CRS, INR/IAA SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD STATE PAS AID FOR LAC/CAR TREASURY FOR MAUREEN WAFER E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/27/2018 TAGS: PGOV PREL HA SUBJECT: PREVAL NAMES BOB MANUEL PRIME MINISTER DESIGNATE REF: A) PORT AU PRINCE 00701 PORT AU PR 00000763 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires A. I. Thomas C. Tighe. Reason: E.O. 12958 1.4 (b),(d) Summary -------------- ¶1. (SBU) President Preval on May 25 named his close political adviser Robert Manuel as Prime Minister-designate. Manuel is part of Preval's inner circle, and a consummate behind-the-scenes political operative. He was Secretary of State for Public Security during part of Preval's first term, and managed Preval's 2006 presidential campaign. However, he has neither firm policy experience nor a strong public political persona. Even as Preval's adviser, Manuel has spent large amounts of time in Guatemala, the home country of his spouse. His prospects for confirmation by both houses of parliament are questionable. End summary. ¶2. (SBU) Just before midnight Sunday May 25, President Preval named political advisor Robert Manuel as his candidate for Prime Minister. The move follows the failure of his previous PM nominee, Ericq Pierre, to obtain parliamentary confirmation (reftel). Manuel's nomination came as a surprise, since Manuel was seen as difficult to confirm in the parliament. Jean Max Bellerive, Minister of Planning under outgoing PM Alexis, was seen as the frontrunner with the kind of policy experience needed to manage Haiti's current economic challenges. ¶3. (C) However, Embassy sources in parliament say Preval encountered opposition to Bellerive in the parliament, since Bellerive was too closely associated with the policies of outgoing Prime Minister Alexis. Post believes Bellerive is a Canadian citizen, which, if true, certainly entered into Preval's calculations of his ability to be confirmed. Dual nationality is not permitted under Haiti's constitution. Parliamentary Confirmation Will Not be Easy -------------- ¶4. (C) Certain party leaders initially expressed cautious support for Manuel and hoped he would be confirmed. Fusion spokesman Micha Gaillard told the press May 27 that Manuel had strong security credentials and that his party would immediately begin talks with their deputies and Senators on confirming Manuel. Senate President Kely Bastien the same day said that there had been intensive consultations between President Preval, himself, and Chamber of Deputies President Eric Jean Jacques over the nomination of Manuel. Bastien would not comment on the likelihood of Manuel passing the Senate. Bastien told POLOFF privately, however, that Manuel would encounter difficulty being confirmed. ¶5. (SBU) Lespwa deputy Patrick Dumond told POLOFF May 27 that the majority of the bloc in the Chamber of Deputies bloc the Coalition of Progressive Parliamentarians (CPP) opposed Manuel. (Note: the votes of the CPP helped assure the defeat of Eric Pierre in the Chamber of Deputies -- see reftel. End Note) Dumond also reported that when Preval had consulted with the CPP to discuss a new nominee, the President indicated he would select either Bellerive or Gue. MINUSTAH reported to PolCouns that Senator Rudy Heriveaux strongly opposes Manuel. Comment -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Both houses of the parliament will now name committees to examine Manuel's constitutional eligibility, including Haitian citizenship going back two generations, and legal residency and property ownership in Haiti. Robert Manuel's name surfaced as a PM candidate only after Ericq Pierre was voted down by the Chamber of Deputies May 12 (reftel). Post held Acting Minister of Planning Bellerive and Secretary of State for Agriculture Joanes Gue as the more PORT AU PR 00000763 002.2 OF 002 realistic PM candidates, especially given the widespread perception that Manuel was all but unconfirmable. TIGHE