SUSPECTED TRAFFICKER AND NOTED JUDICIAL REFORMER LOSES SENATE LEADERSHIP POSITION

C O N F I D E N T I A L PORT AU PRINCE 000888 SIPDIS STATE FOR WHA/CAR, DRL, S/CRS, INL FOR KEVIN BROWN, HEATHER WILD AND MEAGAN MCBRIDE INR/IAA SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD STATE PASS AID FOR LAC/CAR E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/02/2019 TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR EAID HA SUBJECT: SUSPECTED TRAFFICKER AND NOTED JUDICIAL REFORMER LOSES SENATE LEADERSHIP POSITION REF: PORT AU PRINCE 863 Classified By: Ambassador Kenneth H. Merten. Reason: E.O. 12958 1.4 ( b),(d) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY. The Haitian Senate's Justice and Security Commission elected a new president and vice-president on October 19, tossing out the controversial chairman Youri Latortue. Although an opposition member was selected as the new president of the commission, the new vice-president is likely to be the key player. This change makes it possible for President Preval to move forward with the replacement of the Supreme Court judges, as he had told Department Counselor Mills in a recent meeting (reftel). Other commissions have also changed officers, with Preval,s majority LESPWA party obtaining all the chairmanships. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (U) The Justice and Security Commission met on October 19 in the diplomatic lounge at the Senate to elect new officers. O Latortue, former president of the Justice Commission, claimed that LESPWA members and allies pushed him out by holding the election without his knowledge. He decried the procedure as ''anti-constitutional'' in a radio interview on the morning of October 20. Jean Rodolph Joasile, the new president of the commission, is technically in the opposition (FUSION) but is not a strong player according to UN observers. Jean Hector Anacasis, now vice-president, is close to Preval. He is likely to be the key player on the commission. ¶3. (C) With the election earlier this year of senators loyal to Preval giving the President a majority, it was not a surprise that new Senate leadership elections were held giving the ruling LESPWA control. Preval had held off naming a new Supreme Court because he did not want to have to select magistrates from a list submitted by the Senate committee under the leadership of Latortue, who is widely rumored to have ties to drug trafficking. Latortue's removal will enable the committee to propose names of justices who will not owe their positions to Latortue. ¶4. (C) COMMENT. This re-shuffling is the latest maneuver by Preval to consolidate his power and influence ahead of upcoming legislative and presidential elections. Preval replaced several of the controversial figures on the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP),including the CEP's president and vice-president. In light of the irregularities and the exclusion of Fanmi Lavalas during the past senatorial elections, followed by the forceful validation of the new Senators, opposition leaders have expressed their concern that they are being pushed out of the political scene at the expense of Preval's ambitions to keep a direct or indirect hold on power after the presidential elections of 2010. MERTEN