US embassy cable - 05PORTAUPRINCE2870

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PORT AU PRINCE 002870 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA/CAR 
DRL 
S/CRS 
SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD 
STATE PASS AID FOR LAC/CAR 
INR/IAA (BEN-YEHUDA) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, KDEM, HA, Elections 
SUBJECT: HAITI ELECTIONS: ELECTORAL DATE ANNOUNCEMENT 
HIGHLIGHTS DEEPER SURROUNDING ISSUES 
 
 
1. Summary: Promises from the Interim Government of Haiti 
(IGOH) that the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) would 
announce election dates November 17 evaporated when the IGOH 
abruptly canceled the announcement at the last moment.  The 
dates, which were decided in a meeting between MINUSTAH, the 
IGOH and the CEP Director General November 16, later won the 
preliminary endorsement of six of the nine CEP members. 
However, when the PM leaked the dates before the formal 
announcement, CEP president Mathurin refused to sign the 
letter setting the dates for the election.  The government, 
journalists and the diplomatic corps were stood up at the 
National Palace with no ceremony to attend.  The Prime 
Minister was calm after the canceled announcement and said 
that dates would likely be announced November 21, but on 
November 21 politicking on dates and procedures continued. 
End Summary. 
 
Promised Calendar Announcement Ends In Debacle 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
2. Promises from the Interim Government of Haiti (IGOH) that 
it would announce definitive elections dates ended in a 
debacle on November 17 when the IGOH canceled the 
announcement at the last moment.  Throughout the week, the 
IGOH, Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) and MINUSTAH had 
met to discuss dates.  According to CEP director General 
Jacques Bernard, the IGOH and MINUSTAH decided November 16 to 
hold the first round on December 27 and the second round in 
conjunction with some local elections January 31.  At the end 
of the meeting, the IGOH was to communicate the decision to 
the CEP through official channels and arrange a press 
conference December 17 at four p.m. to announce the dates. 
 
Power Plays by Both Sides 
------------------------- 
 
3. Though six of the nine CEP members had provisionally 
agreed to December 27 earlier in the week, the CEP had not 
yet officially endorsed the new calendar when the Prime 
Minister told CNN the new dates were official.  According to 
CEP members Pierre Richard Duchemin and Josepha Gauthier, CEP 
members felt the government had fixed the dates without their 
consent and felt the CNN interview was a power play to force 
the CEP to approve new calendar.  The IGOH canceled the 
ceremony to officially announce the dates in the resulting 
imbroglio.  According to the PM and Bernard, CEP President 
Max Mathurin refused to sign the letter establishing the 
dates for the election, and because the PM does not have the 
legal authority to set the dates, he was forced to cancel the 
ceremony. 
 
New Dates Still Pending 
----------------------- 
 
4. Later in a conversation with the Charge, the PM calmly 
explained that the IGOH would probably announce the new dates 
November 21.  CEP President Max Mathurin's Chief of Staff 
Paul Duchetallier said the CEP was discussing dates November 
18 and would likely submit dates to IGOH in the afternoon of 
November 21.  (Note: Neither the IGOH nor the CEP has 
announced any dates thus far. End Note)  Duchetallier said 
CEP would likely recommend December 27 for the first round, 
January 29, 30 or 31 for the runoff, and local elections in 
mid-January.  However Gauthier told Poloff in a November 21 
meeting that although the CEP planned to meet to discuss 
dates, some members would likely ask for CEP Director General 
Bernard's resignation, which she believed would push the 
dates from today's agenda.  Though she said she believed 
Bernard had her support of that of the five other members and 
he would emerge from the challenge, she saw the possible 
challenge as a tactic to delay fixing the dates. 
 
5. Comment: According to CEP DG Jacques Bernard, CEP 
President Max Mathurin knew about the dates November 16 and 
failed to communicate the decision to the other CEP members 
making the executive decision about the dates a surprise to 
the CEP November 17.  The PM's November 17 leak of the new 
dates to the press only exacerbated the situation, making the 
CEP members feel the executive was trying to pressure them 
into the dates.  Whether or not the inaction by Mathurin and 
the PM's leak were intentional they must be among the last 
such failings if elections are to take place before 2006. End 
Comment. 
 
CARNEY