PREVAL SETS DATE FOR PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS

UNCLAS PORT AU PRINCE 000941 C O R R E C T E D C O P Y--REMOVAL OF SENSITIVE CAPTION, NAME CHANGE IN SUBJECT LINE SIPDIS STATE FOR S, C, 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: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL KAID PINR HA SUBJECT: PREVAL SETS DATE FOR PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS ¶1. (U) On November 11, President Preval issued an executive order setting the date for the first round of the next parliamentary elections. This announcement officially launches the election campaign and allows the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) to begin registering parties and candidates. For all areas of Haiti other than the Central Plateau, elections for members of the Senate and the House of Deputies will be held on February 28, 2010. For the Central Plateau, the elections will be held on March 3, 2010. ¶2. (U) The reason for the separate elections in the Central Plateau was not officially disclosed. However, in previous discussions with GOH election officials, they expressed to poloffs the desire to allocate enhanced security staff and resources to the area, which was plagued by violence and election irregularities during the previous parliamentary elections. ¶3. (U) The order did not establish a date for a second round of elections to resolve contests in which a candidate did not receive a majority of votes. However, based on discussions with GOH election officials, Post expects they will occur in March or early April 2010. ¶4. (U) The UN has convoked a meeting of the donor community for November 16 to begin coordination on election support activities. ¶5. (U) COMMENT: The announcement was the first official act of the new government under Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive, who was approved by Parliament earlier in the day on November 11. Preval issued the order in response to a written request submitted by the CEP on November 10 to set the date for the elections. Pressure to set the elections date has been building for months, given that the constitution requires them to be held in November 2009. MERTEN