US embassy cable - 05OTTAWA2702

C O N F I D E N T I A L OTTAWA 002702 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/08/2015 
TAGS: HA, CA, PGOV, PREL, KCRS 
SUBJECT: CANADIAN VIEWS ON CONTINUING MOMENTUM FOR HAITIAN 
ELECTIONS 
 
REF: STATE 165009 
 
Classified By: Polmincouns Brian Flora, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
 1. (C) Poloff delivered reftel demarche September 8 to DG 
for the Caribbean, Central American and the Andes Christian 
LaPointe, who also introduced members of a newly created 
office on Haiti.  He explained that Foreign Affairs Canada 
finally accepted that Haiti was going to be a significant 
issue for a long time and they needed to have personnel 
dedicated to it.  The new director for Haiti in FAC will be 
Ginette Martin, former DCM in Guatemala.  LaPointe stressed 
that Canada,s vital and sustaining role in the Haitian 
democratization process will continue.  Canada will work with 
and through the UN and its organizations, the crucial Haitian 
Diaspora, the French, the European Union and model Caribbean 
nations to support the CEP in its realization of free and 
fair elections. 
 
Election Glass Half Full 
------------------------ 
 
2. (C) LaPointe understood our concern with the pace of CEP 
progress in preparing for elections, but preferred to see the 
glass as half full, not half empty.  He reflected back on the 
time just a few months ago when there were just 100,000 
voters registered and only a handful of voter registration 
stations.  Now there are 2 million registered at 450 stations 
and 65 parties, including Lavalas,  registered to participate 
(not quite Italy yet, he mused, but getting there).  He was 
cautiously optimistic that the CEP would pull things together 
in time for a successful conclusion, but agreed that the 
international community needs to keep up a high level of 
support, encouragement, and cajoling to get there.  He also 
commended recent progress on the security front as a required 
corollary. 
 
UNGA Sep. 14 Ministerial 
------------------------ 
 
3. (C) LaPointe said the GOC would be open to discussions on 
how to strengthen the CEP at the September 14 ministerial, 
which would be attended by either Minister Pettigrew or CIDA 
Director Carroll.   He did not commit to bringing strong 
support to a more active UN effort in the elections, however, 
expressing satisfaction with the current division of labor 
between the UN and OAS.  Lapointe said that the GoC wants to 
balance the need for Haitian ownership of the process and 
outcome, with the equally vital need for international 
support to ensure transparency and proper implementation.  He 
also reiterated Canada,s long-term commitment to supporting 
the  permanent electoral council when the provisional council 
has done its work. The GoC, recognizing the importance of 
good governance and institution building, hopes to work 
collaboratively with members of the expatriate Haitian 
community to encourage the creation of an ombudsman, for 
example, among whose responsibilities would be the 
&safeguarding of the new democratic order.8  Lapointe 
stressed the vital role that the Diaspora could play if 
properly encouraged. 
 
Elections Canada Official to Visit Port-au-Prince (PaP) 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
 
4. (C) Chief Electoral Officer of Canada Jean-Pierre Kingsley 
will meet with the Canadian Ambassador to Haiti September 9 
in preparation for an upcoming visit to PaP, in which he will 
take a message of strong support for the CEP.  Mr. LaPointe 
encouraged all foreign governments to send the same message. 
 
Visit Canada's Classified Web Site at 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/ottawa 
 
WILKINS