US embassy cable - 05PORTAUPRINCE3031

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PORT AU PRINCE 003031 
 
SIPDIS 
 
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: HAITI ELECTIONS IN 27 DAYS: KEY TASKS AND 
DEADLINES UPDATE 
 
REF: PAP 2991 
 
1. Summary: This message is the second in a series describing 
the main logistical tasks to be completed (reftel) in 
preparation for first round of Haitian elections scheduled 
for January 8, 2006.  The OAS continues to open ID card 
distribution centers, but the current pace will not allow 
card distribution to finish before the first round.  The OAS 
plans to supplement its distribution staff, and will assess 
the likelihood of successful distribution December 16. 
MINUSTAH expects ballot printing to finish December 12; four 
containers with all the ballots for three of the ten 
departments arrived December 9.  The cascade training that 
will ultimately produce roughly 40,000 poll workers has thus 
far proceeded smoothly, however the bulk of the hiring has 
not been completed.  The OAS reported that the first batch of 
partial electoral lists are finished and expects to finish 
the second set on December 12 or 13.  The CEP still has not 
chosen between the two competing plans for result 
transmission.  End Summary. 
 
2. ID Cards 
----------- 
 
MINUSTAH and the OAS continue to open card distribution 
centers throughout Haiti, but the tempo of card distribution 
remains too slow for all ID cards to be distributed by 
January 8.  According to MINUSTAH elections officials, as of 
December 9, 107 of approximately 430 card distribution 
centers (the same registration centers and mobile units are 
being used) are in operation throughout Haiti.  OAS elections 
chief Elizabeth Spehar told Poloff December 12 that the OAS 
is only now beginning to do massive distribution and is 
working to get cards out from Port-au-Prince to the 
distribution centers.  While Spehar and CEP member charged 
with registration Pierre Richard Duchemin say the OAS created 
a document detailing card distribution procedures, all four 
card distribution centers recently visited by Poloff used 
different procedures. 
 
The pace of card distribution has generally increased 
throughout the country and according to CEP Director General 
Jacques Bernard the OAS plans to supplement its distribution 
staff by 400.  On December 8, Poloff visited a card 
distribution center in Croix des Bouquets, just east of 
Port-au-Prince, which serves roughly 30,000 registrants. 
According to the OAS communal coordinator staffing the site, 
his workers distributed 130 cards on December 2 and 523 cards 
on December 7.  This coordinator said his site would not be 
able to complete distribution ahead of the January 8 first 
round. 
 
Key Deadlines: 
 
December 8: All distribution centers open -- MISSED 
December 16: OAS and CEP judge viability of distribution 
December 20: All ID cards in Haiti 
December 31: Card distribution complete 
 
Comment: OAS elections chief Spehar said she would be able to 
assess the likelihood that the OAS would complete 
distribution December 16.  However, unless the rate of 
distribution in the most populated areas increases 
significantly throughout the next week, it is clear that the 
OAS will not be able to complete its task.  MINUSTAH, the 
OAS, and the CEP must devise a more efficient means of 
informing voters where to vote.  Whether or not distribution 
for a January 8 first round is possible, distribution should 
continue. 
 
3. Ballots 
---------- 
 
MINUSTAH elections officials expect ballot printing in the 
Dominican Republic to finish December 12.  They reported that 
MINUSTAH received 4 containers of ballots December 9 with all 
the ballots for the departments of the North, South East, and 
Nippes.  However, according to MINUSTAH the OAS corrected 
some voting center and voting site assignments, meaning 
MINUSTAH will have to repack some of the ballots, which are 
sorted by voting site in the Dominican Republic.  MINUSTAH 
will collect and store the ballots in Port-au-Prince until 
they are ready to be shipped to the provinces. 
 
Key Deadlines: 
 
December 15: All ballots finished and in Port-au-Prince 
December 16 - January 5: MINUSTAH transports ballots to 
provinces 
January 6 - 7: UNPOL transports ballots to voting centers 
 
4. Personnel 
------------ 
 
According to CEP DG Jacques Bernard, the cascade training 
that will train roughly 40,000 poll workers for election days 
is proceeding smoothly.  The CEP will hire professors as 
voting site presidents.  Bernard said the CEP and MINUSTAH 
have overcome their hiring-conflict with the communal and 
departmental electoral bureaus (BEDs and BECs) about the poll 
worker positions.  Bernard reported that CEP would encourage 
the political parties and civil society to propose 
candidates, but expected they would not be able to fill more 
than 12,000 of the poll worker positions.  He said the BEDs 
and BECs would hire the rest of the staff. 
 
Key Deadlines: 
 
December 19 - 23: Training for voting center managers 
December 24: First group of voting site presidents hired 
December 26 - 27: First round of voting site presidents 
trained 
December 26: Second group of voting site presidents hired 
December 28 - 29: Second round of voting site presidents 
trained 
December 29: All poll workers hired 
January 1 - 5: All voting site personnel trained 
 
Comment: Resolution of the hiring conflict is good news, but 
hiring could still remain a problem.  The CEP placated the 
BEDs and BECs by giving them a larger role in the hiring 
process, but their progress should be closely monitored.  In 
the past, the BEDs and BECs have not produced timely results 
when tasked by the CEP.  The BEDs and BECs could 
controversially politicize the hiring process as officials 
will likely jockey to secure jobs for their family, friends 
and cronies.  Further, the IFES long-term observer mission 
reported that the CEP has already failed to meet one 
requirement.  The list of polling places and the list of 
pollworkers was to be posted in a public place no late than 
30 days before the election to allow public inspection.  As 
of December 11, the lists have not been posted. 
 
5. Partial Electoral Lists 
-------------------------- 
 
According to the OAS, one set of partial electoral lists is 
already complete and a second set has started printing.  In a 
December 9 meeting, the OAS, MINUSTAH and CEP discussed using 
the partial lists to inform voters of their voting centers. 
The first set of lists will be posted on the walls of the 
BECs and voters will be able to use them to identify their 
voting center and voting site. 
 
Key Deadlines: 
 
December 17: finish printing LEPs 
December 18: Distribute final LEPs 
 
6. Transmitting the Results and Counting the Votes 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
The CEP still has not chosen between two competing methods to 
transmit results to Port-au-Prince, and preparations for both 
continue.  One option, favored by MINUSTAH, some members of 
the CEP, and CEP DG Bernard, is for MINUSTAH to transport 
results to Port-au-Prince by helicopter and truck.  The 
other, championed by CEP member Francois Benoit and supported 
by the Ministry of the Interior and Central Bank, is to 
transmit results by satellite.  While neither has been 
definitively chosen, both are proceeding as though they will 
ultimately be used.  MINUSTAH, the CEP, UNOPS and the OAS 
have prepared a memorandum of understanding governing their 
cooperation within the MINUSTAH counting center where results 
would be physically brought to under MINUSTAH,s plan. 
Meanwhile, Benoit plans to present the software for the VSAT 
system on December 13. 
 
Key Deadlines: 
 
ASAP: Method for transmitting the results chosen 
ASAP: Logistics for vote transmission and counting finalized 
December 26: Counting center fully operational 
CARNEY