US embassy cable - 05PORTAUPRINCE2893

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PORT AU PRINCE 002893 
 
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: ELECTIONS HICCUP EMBLEMATIC OF LACK OF STRATEGIC 
PLANNING 
 
 
1. Summary: The PM hosted a meeting November 21 to discuss ID 
cards and voter lists, which became a forum for the 
international community and Interim Government of Haiti 
(IGOH) to discuss the electoral calendar.  Roughly 90,000 
voters are not yet included on the nationwide list of voters 
and between 150,000 and 400,000 additional voters have not 
been assigned to legislative districts.  Though CEP Director 
General Jacques Bernard said the problems should present 
little more than a minor bump in elections process, they must 
be resolved immediately or they could impact the electoral 
calendar.  (Bernard told the Charge late 22 November that the 
90,000 have been added to the data base.)  The Interim 
Government of Haiti was adamant that the first round must be 
December 27 and offered five senior government staff to 
assist the CEP.  The Prime Minister said new CEP bylaws were 
published in the state newspaper November 17, but post 
sources inside the paper say the government is holding 
publication of the edition.  CEP sources note unhappiness 
with the rules that did not receive full CEP approval.  End 
Summary 
 
2. In a meeting November 21, ostensibly to discuss voter ID 
cards, the Interim Government of Haiti (IGOH);  Provisional 
Electoral Council (CEP); international elections 
implementors; the Charge; and the heads of the Canadian, 
French, and EU missions discussed ID cards, voter lists, and 
the electoral calendar.  The Prime Minister reported the 
recent discovery that some 90,000 registrants have not been 
incorporated into the OAS list of voters and another 150,000 
to 400,000 urban voters have not been assigned voting 
centers.  Bernard said the realization would prove nothing 
more than a minor wrinkle in electoral preparations if 
treated appropriately.  As a result, the CEP has asked for, 
and received, an extension until the evening of November 22 
to finalize the electoral calendar.  Infact, the CEP missed 
the deadline and will be meeting on the question at 1000 23 
November.  Bernard told the Charge late November 22 that all 
90,000 names had been entered into the data base during the 
day, eliminating this issue as a possible element of further 
delay. 
 
3. Bernard, MINUSTAH electoral chief LeChevallier and CEP 
President Mathurin explained the two fold mechanism by which 
the unfinished voter lists could impact the electoral 
calendar.  In order for the printer to begin list production, 
all voters must be assigned to a district.  The Haitian 
printer has said he can print all of the voter lists in 16 
days, however his contract gives him 30, which does not 
include combining the lists with the voting kit for each 
site.  In addition, the three Dominican ballot-printing firms 
need a final tally of the number of ballots they will need 
for each race, which will not be complete until all voters 
are assigned to their districts.  The printers have other 
contracts lined up and, according to LeChevallier, have a 
window to print the Haitian ballots which could close if 
there are further delays.  Bernard, LeChevallier and Mathurin 
insisted that creatively juggling the printing could still 
preserve December 27, but said the CEP would need to create 
technical fixes and/or work arounds for the problems. 
 
4. The Prime Minister and Brunache insisted that the election 
dates are already fixed in the eyes of the international 
community and that the CEP, MINUSTAH and OAS must do 
everything they can to respect December 27.  The PM 
vociferously announced that should the CEP request specific 
assistance, five experienced government officials were 
standing by to bolster the CEP,s administrative team. 
(Note: After the meeting Bernard took a list of specific 
needs to the PM.  End Note) 
 
5. UN SRSG Valdes agreed with the CEP plan to fix the voter 
list inadequacies, but highlighted the CEP Director General's 
continued lack of executive authority to run elections.  The 
PM circulated the text of new CEP bylaws, which,  he said, 
were established by executive order November 17.  The new 
bylaws (septel) eliminate the two-committee (executive and 
operational) structure originally proposed by the now 
disbanded CEP Support Committee and give the Director General 
significantly more power to administer the process.  Though 
the Prime Minister said the new bylaws were included in the 
November 17 Moniteur, the official government newspaper, 
sources at the paper said the government is holding the 
edition because it also contains the executive order on 
public financing for political parties, and the IGOH does not 
yet have the 55 million gourdes it promised to divide among 
the parties.  CEP sources note unhappiness among some of the 
members because the entire body did not approve the internal 
rules.  This matter is said to be on the agenda for the 10 
a.m. 23 November meeting as well. 
 
6. Comment: The discovery of additional and unassigned voters 
will not delay the process alone.  However, the last-minute 
realization is symptomatic of the lack of strategic planning 
in the electoral effort.  Implementors are unable to look 
more than a few days ahead to assess problems, which has 
increased the likelihood of last minute logistical failures. 
CARNEY