SENIOR CABINET MEMBER OFFERS SUPPORT TO PRIME

C O N F I D E N T I A L PORT AU PRINCE 000570


NOFORN

DEPT FOR C-CHERYL MILLS
ALSO FOR WHA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/15/2019
TAGS: PGOV HA
SUBJECT: SENIOR CABINET MEMBER OFFERS SUPPORT TO PRIME
MINISTER AS SHE CONSIDERS OPTIONS

REF: PORT AU PRINCE 554


Classified By: Ambassador Janet A.Sanderson, reason 1.4(b) and (d).


1. (C) On Saturday, I again talked to Prime Minister Michele
Pierre-Louis about her proposed resignation. While insisting
that she will not go back on her decision, MPL acknowledged
that she is "thinking very hard ... I don't want to make a
mistake." She reiterated these comments in a subsequent
email and telcon. For our part, I said that we were reluctant
to see her go, and I again urged her to consider carefully
her options. I repeated my concern about the impact such a
decision would have on Haiti at a time when it needed strong,
consistent and engaged leadership. She repeated that she is
fully cognizant of the effect that this will have on the
Haitian political process. Nonetheless, she said, the
situation is difficult and she does not believe that she has
much choice if she cannot be credible Prime Minister to her
people. She again asked that this information be close hold.


2. (C) I shared with MPL a conversation I had had with
Minister of Plan Jean-Max Bellerive the previous evening.
Bellerive, a senior Cabinet member and one of those,
allegedly, in the line up to replace MPL if she leaves,
expressed grave concern about the growing pressure on the
Prime Minister and repeatedly expressed his support for her.
Without prompting, he described the Cabinet meeting in which
Preval dumped on the PM's northern development plan, terming
the session "embarrassing." That being said, he observed that
under MPL's leadership the GOH has become more focused and
better organized. She is, he contends, making ministries
more accountable, although he admitted there was long way to
go. The important thing, he said, about the now-infamous
Cabinet meeting is that the Ministers, as a united front,
stood up to the president. This was, Bellerive contends, the
first time that had happened in Haitian political history.
Pierre-Louis has been good for Haiti, Bellerive claimed, and
she had a lot of clout behind her in the Cabinet if she
wished to use it.


3. (C) MPL was clearly surprised by Bellerive's comments. She
said that she would take them under advisement but
appreciated knowing that there were those in the Cabinet who
supported her. In a Sunday evening conversation, she said
that she is not prepared to act on her resignation
immediately but she refused again to rule it out down the
road. She promised to keep in close touch with the Embassy as
she goes through this process.


4. (C) Comment. MPL remains angry and frustrated by her
inability to take control of her government. I believe that
she wants to resign and I know that her relationship with the
president remains fraught. However, she has agreed to take
her time and consider her options; a proposed trip to Miami
later in the week to address chambers of commerce and the
Haitian Diaspora may allow her to put some distance between
her and the stresses of Haitian politics. We will keep
working Pierre-Louis quietly on our end; given her tenuous
relationship with the president at this time, it would serve
neither one of their interests for this matter to become
public.


SANDERSON