US embassy cable - 05PORTAUPRINCE2959

UNCLAS PORT AU PRINCE 002959 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR WHA/CAR 
DRL 
S/CRS 
SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD 
STATE PASS AID FOR LAC/CAR 
INR/IAA (BEN-YEHUDA) 
TREASURY FOR MAUREEN WAFER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, KDEM, HA, Elections 
SUBJECT: BUDGET FOR HAITIAN ELECTIONS SWELLS AFTER DELAYS 
 
REF: PAP 2941 
 
1. (SBU) MINUSTAH and the OAS are preparing, but have not 
finished, an updated elections budget that accounts for the 
new electoral calendar (reftel).  The draft budget, which 
includes input from both the OAS and MINUSTAH totals roughly 
USD 74 million.  It would make MINUSTAH,s overall share of 
the budget just under USD 60 million and the OAS' share 
roughly USD 14 million.  CEP Director Jacques Bernard told 
Poloff he thought the 74 million figure was on the "high 
end."  Based on Bernard's conversations with MINUSTAH, he 
estimated that recent delays would add at least USD 10 
million to the elections budget.  However, he said previous 
MINUSTAH budgets lacked detail and were thus difficult to 
assess. 
 
2. (SBU) Additional elections costs and unmet donor pledges 
will create a cash flow problem after the January 8 first 
round.  Because the EU has not disbursed Euro 8 million of 
its pledged contribution, the UN has only received roughly 
USD 46 million of the 56.6 million pledged.  (Note: An EU 
officer said comments by the EU chairman that EU aid would be 
cut off as a result of recent delays was an empty threat. 
Such a decision would have to be taken by all 25 EU members, 
and given strong support from some members, notably France, 
he felt it unlikely that the EU would make any move to cut 
off funding. He expected 95 percent of the Euro 8 million to 
be disbursed during the week of December 5. End Note) 
Nonetheless, according to MINUSTAH elections chief Gerard 
LeChevallier, the UN has enough money to take the process 
through to the first round, but will need additional funds 
shortly thereafter. 
 
3. (SBU) Comment: Bernard's estimate that the budget overrun 
will be at least 10 million reflects estimates of the growing 
deficit in the past weeks.  However, the actual deficit 
remains unclear; the OAS and MINUSTAH have been unable to 
produce a detailed, itemized budget, even at CEP DG Bernard's 
request.  Instead they continually debate and blame one 
another for overruns and delays.  The Core Group should 
consider that UN head quarters audit MINUSTAH's elections 
budget in order to produce a clearer picture of the budget 
needs. 
KERST