US embassy cable - 05OTTAWA459

UNCLAS OTTAWA 000459 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AORC, PREL, CA 
SUBJECT: CANADA: ENGAGING HOST GOVERNMENTS ON THE CANDIDACY 
OF FRANCISCO FLORES FOR OAS SECRETARY GENERAL 
 
REF: SECSTATE 25152 
 
(SBU) Poloff delivered reftel demarche to FAC Inter-American 
Affairs Deputy Director Leonard Beaulne.  Beaulne thanked us 
for our comments and promised Canada would consider our 
position if the election went to another round.  He said that 
Canada has not yet looked at options for a second round, but 
if it does, its key criteria would be that the candidate not 
be divisive.  That, in fact, was the concern that Ottawa has 
about Flores, that he is not the consensus candidate even for 
Central America.  Ottawa will look carefully at the decision 
that comes out of the upcoming Caricom meeting to see if 
there is a critical mass of supporters for Flores in the 
Caribbean, and will watch to see if a broader consensus 
develops around his candidacy. 
 
Visit Canada's Classified Web Site at 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/ottawa 
 
CELLUCCI