US embassy cable - 05PORTAUPRINCE2792

C O N F I D E N T I A L PORT AU PRINCE 002792 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD 
WHA ALSO FOR USOAS 
S/CRS FOR MICHELLE SCHIMP 
TREASURY FOR MAUREEN WAFER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/09/2010 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, HA, Elections 
SUBJECT: HAITI ELECTIONS: SUPPORT COMMITTEE MEMBERS RESIGN 
 
REF: PORT-AU-PRINCE 2774 AND PREVIOUS 
 
Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Douglas M. Griffiths for reasons 
 1.4(b). 
 
1. (U)  Citing "lack of support from the executive (branch)," 
the six members of the electoral support committee submitted 
a collective letter of resignation to the Interim Government 
of Haiti (IGOH), the Council of Wise Persons, and the 
Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) on November 4 and made 
their resignation public on November 7.  Prime Minister 
Latortue had formed the committee on September 30 in an 
effort to bolster the capacity of the CEP to organize the 
coming elections.  As noted in the letter of resignation, the 
IGOH had never legally established the role or authority of 
the support committee. 
 
2. (C) Comment:  Per reftels, post, along with the rest of 
the Core Group and many informed Haitians, opposed the 
formation of the support committee from the start and 
subsequently argued for its dissolution.  Ostensibly created 
to improve the performance of the nine-member CEP, the 
addition of yet another committee on top only worsened the 
already dysfunctional electoral structure.  The members' 
resignation is a welcome decision, effectively undoing the 
Prime Minister's original mistake.  Their lengthy resignation 
letter is an attempt to absolve themselves of any 
responsibility for an eventual failure of the electoral 
process while laying any blame on the PM's doorstep. 
 
CARNEY