AMBASSADOR CALLS ON ELECTORAL COUNCIL, EMPHASIZES

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PORT AU PRINCE 000898 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: 06/16/2018 TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM EAID HA SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR CALLS ON ELECTORAL COUNCIL, EMPHASIZES NECESSITY OF GOH INVESTMENT REF: A. PORT AU PRINCE 783 ¶B. PORT AU PRINCE 865 PORT AU PR 00000898 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: Ambassador Janet A. Sanderson for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d ). ¶1. (C) Summary: Provisional Electoral Council President Frantz-Gerard Verret's unilateral cancellation of a June 4 elections roundtable reinforced misgivings among international donors that the CEP, and President Preval, are reluctant to move forward with Senate elections. The Ambassador subsequently called on Verret to underscore USG concerns about the delayed elections. Verret blamed the delay on the yet-to-be-completed electoral law, and, as usual, lamented the CEP's budget difficulties. He remains convinced the solution is not to trim the election budget but to convince the GOH to finance the difference between donor pledges and the total budget. The meeting did little to convince the Embassy that the CEP is making serious efforts to prepare for elections, and reinforced doubts about presidential willingness to move forward. Meanwhile, the electoral law remains held up in Parliament as President Preval struggles to identify and obtain parliamentary confirmation of a new Prime Minister and government. End Summary. ¶2. (C) The Ambassador called on President of the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) Frantz-Gerard Verret on June 10. This followed Verret's abrupt cancellation of the June 4 meeting of the electoral roundtable, a biweekly meeting of the CEP, major donor country Embassy reps, and MINUSTAH to coordinate election planning. The Ambassador conveyed concerns from Washington that Haiti's electoral calendar continues to slip. She said the USG questions whether the GOH, including President Preval, really wants to have elections for one-third of the senate this year, or whether the intention is to delay them until 2009. She emphasized that the CEP has the USG's firm support for elections, but that we are troubled by the ongoing delay. Verret replied that he saw no signs that Preval was actively trying to prevent elections, but that the Presidency had not given the CEP a clear pathway by which to carry out elections. He agreed that the international community has reason to be worried, given the lengthy delay, but reiterated that the electoral calendar cannot begin until the electoral law is promulgated. The Ambassador advised Verret to push for greater GOH investment in these elections, upon which Haiti's democratic future depends, and said that she would do the same. ¶3. (C) Verret said he cancelled the June 4 electoral roundtable meeting after consulting with MINUSTAH Chief of Electoral Assistance Marc Plum. (Note: Plum denies this, saying the CEP decided to cancel the meeting without consulting MINUSTAH. End note.) Verret saw no merit of holding another roundtable meeting before the promulgation of the electoral law, saying that the CEP could not work with donors to balance the budget without knowing the final provisions of the law. (Note: Parliament passed the electoral and submitted it to the President May 20. The President's office made further revisions and passed the law back to Parliament for another vote. End Note.) Verret detailed the main changes the CEP asked the Executive to make to the electoral law as: reducing the required number of voting centers from two per communal section to one; reducing the number of staff in each voting bureau from three to four; and reducing the required number of security agents by approximately 9000. (Note: A voting center is composed of many voting bureaus. These amendments would eliminate provisions that expand the electoral apparatus and hence increase election costs. End note.) Verret said that an informal CEP survey shows that the revised law has the support of a majority in Parliament and should pass without much difficulty. The CEP had already met with the presidents of both chambers to smooth the route. Verret said he expected the electoral law would be promulgated by the end of June at the latest. If Parliament accepts the Executive's changes, the senate election budget would remain at USD 15.1 million. PORT AU PR 00000898 002.2 OF 002 ¶4. (C) Responding to the Ambassador's questions about the electoral timeline, Verret said that were the law promulgated tomorrow, the CEP would need one month to prepare before beginning the 120 to 150 day electoral process. He added the caveat that the timeline could not begin until the CEP had the entire budget secured and financial accords signed. The CEP has prepared comments on the UNDP Trust Fund Agreement regulating the management of electoral assistance monies (ref A),which it will submit to UNDP. However, Haiti must have a new Prime Minister installed to sign the UNDP accord. ¶5. (C) Verret noted that the CEP is still completing the budget for the senate elections, and determining whether the GOH will pay the gap between donor pledges and the total budget (ref A). He stated the CEP is having trouble paying the consultants and security guards assigned to each CEP councilor. Verret could not respond specifically to the Ambassador's repeated inquiry into these consultants' job functions. The Ambassador asked whether the CEP could hold elections with the USD 12 to 13 million available. Verret responded that rather than reduce the budget, the CEP believes the GOH should finance the gap. The Ambassador repeated her May 13 statement (ref A) that the USG has pledged USD 4 million for the senate elections and does not have more to offer. She reminded Verret of the large amount of aid the USG is dedicating to emergency food aid. ¶6. (C) Verret pledged that the CEP is equal to the challenge of producing fair and honest elections. The Ambassador advised Verret to explain to the public what the CEP is doing and show citizens that this council is taking its task seriously. Verret said he was preparing to make a public statement immediately following the promulgation of the electoral law to officially open the electoral season and inform the public of the status of the electoral process and CEP plans going forward. ¶7. (C) Comment: President Verret's comments provided us with no further reassurance that the CEP, or the government, is making serious efforts to move forward with senate elections. Verret gave hesitant descriptions of current CEP activities, even stumbling over the number of Senate seats the elections seek to fill. Not surprisingly, he portrayed Preval's support for elections, and the CEP, as weak. With Parliament distracted by the hunt for a new Prime Minister (ref B),it has yet to even consider the amended electoral law. Once the law is promulgated, the CEP needs a minimum of 120 days to prepare. This places election day in late October at the very earliest, with November or December far more likely. SANDERSON