US embassy cable - 05PORTAUPRINCE2824

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PORT AU PRINCE 002824 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD 
WHA ALSO FOR USOAS 
S/CRS FOR MICHELLE SCHIMP 
TREASURY FOR MAUREEN WAFER 
STATE FOR WHA/CAR 
STATE PASS AID FOR LAC/CAR 
INR/IAA (BEN-YEHUDA) 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/13/2010 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, HA, Elections 
SUBJECT: HAITI ELECTIONS: PRESIDENTIAL LIST DONE, CALENDAR 
PENDING 
 
 
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Douglas M. Griffiths for reasons 1.4(b 
). 
 
1. (C) Summary.  The Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) on 
November 11 released the final list of 38 presidential 
candidates, excluding dual-nationals Dumarsais Simeus and 
Samir Mourra  With this step taken, CEP and MINUSTAH 
leadership and technical experts are finalizing logistical 
planning and aim to produce an electoral calendar by Tuesday, 
November 15.  The CEP and MINUSTAH have made progress in many 
areas, but have uncovered problems in others.  MINUSTAH staff 
have told Emboffs privately that they may formally conclude 
that a first-round of voting must be postponed until after 
the New Year.  However, on November 14, Prime Minister 
Latortue told Charge Griffiths that the first round would be 
held in December.  SRSG Valdes repeated that pledge, telling 
the Charge that elections would be held December 22 or 27. 
 
2. (C)  After a period of intensive meetings between the IGOH 
and the CEP and consultations with core group members on 
November 10-11, CEP President Max Mathurin authorized the 
publication of the final list of presidential candidates on 
November 11.  At the same time, the CEP transmitted letters 
to Simeus and Mourra reportedly stating that based on 
information provided to it by the State Commission on the 
Nationality of Candidates (CENC), the CEP determined that 
Simeus and Mourra are U.S. citizens and thus ineligible to 
run for the presidency.  (Comment.  The delay in publishing 
the presidential list ultimately stemmed from the CEP's 
search for a formula that would not allow Simeus or Mourra to 
legally challenge their ruling.  In fact, the CENC did not 
provide any new information: the CEP knew of Simeus' and 
Mourra's U.S. citizenship at the time they published the 
provisional list that excluded Simeus but included Mourra 
Nor has the CEP or CENC produced additional information 
regarding Simeus subsequent to the Supreme Court ruling on 
his behalf.  Both Simeus and Mourra are aware of this and 
will factor it into their  legal strategy.  End Comment.) 
 
3. (C) In addition to finalizing the presidential list, CEP 
and MINUSTAH officials and experts intensified their 
logistical planning efforts through the weekend ending 
November 13.  As reported septel, the CEP on November 8 
approved the establishment of 809 voting centers, a reduction 
from the 835 centers MINUSTAH had previously recommended. 
MINUSTAH officials subsequently report that some of those 
voting centers are not large enough to house the necessary 
number of voting stations (separate polling sites within the 
centers) and that some areas may have to be re-surveyed. 
Also as reported septel, OAS and CEP officials have concluded 
that they will not be able to distribute the estimated 
3.4-3.45 million national identification cards until 
mid-december at the earliest.  Devoting more personnel to 
that task to speed up the process would subsequently affect 
staffing for other electoral tasks.  MINUSTAH officials also 
reported to Emboffs over that they would depend on the 
on-kind donation of 11 helicopters to transport voting 
results from the Departmental Offices to CEP headquarters in 
Port-au-Prince. 
 
4.  (C) MINUSTAH officials privately signaled to Emboffs over 
the weekend that they doubted the first round of elections 
could be held before the holiday season.  SRSG Valdes told 
Polcouns on Sunday, November 13 that while he continued to 
publicly push for December 18, his technicians had warned him 
that they could not guarantee legitimate elections by that 
date.  Valdes suspected that once the CEP and MINUSTAH 
technical teams worked through a final workplan early the 
next week, they would formally recommend that the first round 
be delayed until January.  Valdes said that with every last 
bit of time squeezed out of the preparations timeline between 
now and December 18, and with many logistical questions still 
to be finalized prudence might dictate that the first round 
be postponed until January to protect the integrity of the 
electoral process.  However, on November 14, Valdes told 
Charge that he thought elections could in fact be scheduled 
on December 22 or 27. 
 
5.  (C) Comment.  Election dates any time in December are 
predicated on an extremely tight calendar. Canadian 
Ambassador Claude Boucher told Charge on November 14 that 
their experts did not see a way to hold credible elections 
before January 3. 
GRIFFITHS