US embassy cable - 05PORTAUPRINCE2593

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PORT AU PRINCE 002593 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA/CAR 
DRL 
SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD 
STATE PASS AID FOR LAC/CAR 
INR/IAA (BEN-YEHUDA) 
WHA/EX PLEASE PASS USOAS 
DEPT FOR DS/IP/WHA 
DS/DSS/ITA 
DSERCC 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/18/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, PHUM, ASEC, HA, Elections 
SUBJECT: CORE GROUP FOCUSED ON ELECTORAL PROGRESS 
 
 
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Timothy M. Carney for reasons 1.4 (B) 
and (D) 
 
1. (C)   SUMMARY: At a Core Group meeting on October 14, 
Special Representative of the Secretary General Juan Gabriel 
Valdes told participants that the IGOH had named Jacques 
Bernard as the Director General of the Provisional Electoral 
Council (CEP).  Bernard, a former banker and agrobusinessman 
who currently resides in the United States, reluctantly 
agreed to take the job at the insistence of Prime Minister 
Gerard Latortue. (NOTE: Post will provide a more complete bio 
of Bernard septel. END NOTE.)  Bernard's role will be to 
quickly remove the remaining obstacles to elections.  Valdes 
remained stalwart on the February 7 deadline, but expressed 
concern that the CEP might be less dedicated to keeping that 
date.  With respect to the new commission formed to examine 
the nationality of every candidate, Valdes stated that 
MINUSTAH should not get involved in this, except in the event 
that protracted delays by such a commission were to delay the 
electoral calendar.  Valdes also reported that the IGOH had 
satisfactorily finalized the decrees on campaign finance and 
the elimination of the Supreme Court from the appeals 
process.  Charge asked SRSG about the status of several 
overdue human rights investigations, and Valdes responded 
that the reports from the investigations would be 
forthcoming.  END SUMMARY. 
 
Jacques Bernard --- 
 
2. (C)   Valdes began the meeting with the announcement of 
the appointment of Jacques Bernard as Director General of the 
CEP.  He expected this announcement to negate the need for 
the Electoral Support Committee, which he believed would 
quickly dissolve.  Bernard was a banker and agrobusinessman 
who also had some elections experience in Africa, according 
to Valdes.  His role was to quickly remove the remaining 
obstacles to the elections, such as: establishment of 
communal offices; publication of candidate lists; and 
designation of ballot designs, party symbol and order of 
appearance on the ballot, among others.  Valdes expected him 
to turn the CEP into an administrative committee that would 
accomplish tasks rather than set policy. 
 
February 7 --- 
 
3. (C)   Valdes renewed MINUSTAH's commitment to the February 
7 deadline for transition of power, and he stated his belief 
that Prime Minister Latortue was equally committed.  However, 
he was uncertain with respect to the CEP and the Electoral 
Support Committee, which felt that their job was to produce 
proper elections, regardless of the timeline.  Valdes also 
reported that the IGOH had successfully reached consensus on 
two decrees, one governing campaign finance and the other 
removing the Haitian Supreme Court from the electoral appeals 
process.  Valdes said that the removal of the Court would 
save a few days in the electoral calendar.  That 
notwithstanding, Valdes viewed November 12 as the absolute 
last date by which the IGOH and CEP must have published the 
candidate lists, established the voting centers, and hired 
the elections employees in order to meet the February 7 
deadline. 
 
Simeus --- 
 
4) (C)   Valdes then made reference to the commission 
established by PM Latortue on October 13 to investigate the 
nationality of every candidate.  Participants generally 
agreed that the commission was aimed directly at Dumarsais 
Simeus representing the Tet Ansanm party.  However, Valdes 
said that he feared this would blow up to encompass several 
other candidates who might have dual citizenship, such as 
Samir Mourra.  He worried that this could cause major 
problems both in terms of the candidates and the electoral 
calendar. 
 
5) (C)   Lastly, Valdes brought up a disconnect between UN 
elections personnel and the CEP regarding the number of 
voting centers to be established.  While the initially agreed 
upon number of centers was 600, the CEP now wanted 1785 
centers, which Valdes dismissed as ridiculous.  Valdes 
estimated that the likely number of centers would be around 
800.  Addressing concerns of disenfranchised voters in rural 
areas, Valdes floated the possibility of having mobile voting 
centers.  Valdes assured the participants that MINUSTAH would 
be capable of securing all the polling sites with its current 
force level. 
 
Human Rights Reports Forthcoming? --- 
 
6) (C)   The Charge asked SRSG Valdes when MINUSTAH would be 
publishing the results of its investigations into reported 
human rights abuses by both Haitian National Police and 
MINUSTAH forces.  Valdes replied that some of these reports 
would be made public soon, but that one report, on the 
Martissant soccer stadium killings, would not be released 
because MINUSTAH wanted to integrate their findings with 
those of the HNP.  The Charge promised to follow up within a 
week. 
 
7) (C)  The meeting ended with a discussion of Cite Soleil 
(several members of the diplomatic corps visited the election 
registration site in Cite Soleil on October 14 under 
Jordanian military escort).  The Brazilian ambassador stated 
his appreciation for the ongoing electoral and security 
operations inside Cite Soleil, calling them success stories 
and thanking the SRSG for the efforts.  Valdes seized upon 
the opportunity to reiterate that no negotiations had taken 
place with gangsters in Cite Soleil, stating that the 
conditions for electoral participation had been clearly 
stated by MINUSTAH to area political leaders,  and that the 
political leaders had guaranteed a peaceful registration. 
 
8.   COMMENT:  Post hopes the appointment of Bernard and the 
publication of the decrees will be steps in the right 
direction, but we await concrete results.  Many contacts 
wonder if the elections are being manipulated at the 
institutional level, and to what end.  Speculation abounds as 
to the motives of the IGOH's vendetta against Simeus, whose 
cachet has only been enhanced by the free publicity.  END 
COMMENT. 
CARNEY