The Fix is in, Preval Rigs Haiti's Elections by Stanley Lucas (Update 2 Decembre)

Mid-day Sunday 16 of the 18 presidential candidates called for an annulment of today’s elections see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29PsmoimB18&feature=autof .  

They stated that their poll watchers witnessed local poll workers, put in place by the partisan Provisional Electoral Council (CEP), stuffing more than 90% of the official ballots boxes overnight in favor of President Preval’s chosen successor, Jude Celestin.  They cited numerous cases of voter intimidation and violence throughout the country.

The candidates will meet tomorrow to discuss their political options, but if history is a guide, the Haitian people will rise up and call for the resignation of the president and new elections to be scheduled as soon as possible.  This is exactly what transpired after corrupt elections in 1988 leading to the election of President Aristide and in 2006 resulting in the election of President Preval.

Tomorrow the CEP will announce that there were some irregularities, but nothing significant, and that 96% of the vote has been counted with Jude Celestin as the clear winner.  It is also anticipated that the UN Mission in Haiti, MINUSTAH, will certify the elections also noting some irregularities, but likely arguing that the country is in need of new leadership after the year they have had.  They will urge Haitians to accept the results in the interest of stability and recognizing the dire state Haiti is in.  These were their talking points after the May 2000 elections, but the Haitians never bought the argument.

For the Haitian people, the MINUSTAH has been almost totally discredited after a string of scandals, see: http://solutionshaiti.blogspot.com/2010/11/un-fires-on-haitians-protesting-against.html including the most recent controversy surrounding the cholera outbreak.  Overwhelming evidence has been put forth identifying the Nepalese base of the MINUSTAH as the source of the cholera, but the UN refuses to investigate the source calling such an investigation a distraction.   Recent video has surfaced showing UN soldiers firing on and killing several Haitian protestors.  The UN labeled the protestors “criminals” – but failed to note they were unarmed.  The MINUSTAH mission in Haiti has become so corrupt it rivals the UN’s oil-for-food scandal in Iraq.

Haiti’s lucrative telecom company will also come out in support of the elections and will likely put pressure on the UN to certify the results.  The company is closely linked to Preval and has been also linked to his efforts to put in place this electoral coup according to many Haitians.  This company is also close to the MINUSTAH and Haiti’s Interim Reconstruction Commission, which is in charge of allocating the aid money. 

We also expect to see the powerful members of Haiti’s business cartel, Groupe de Bourdon, commenting in the international press about how well the elections went and that this marks a new chapter for Haiti.  This business cartel funded much of the coup and hand picked Mr. Celestin.  They account for 97% of Haiti’s economic activity but account for only 5% of the tax revenue. 

After the year the Haitian people have suffered, November 28 represented their chance to bring “hope and change” to Haiti.  More than 4.7 million people showed up today to participate in the process despite endless problems in the run up to the elections securing voter identification cards and identifying polling stations.  The CEP even admitted that they would not be able to update the voter registration lists to account for the 300,000 people who died in the earthquake.

Tomorrow when the candidates meet, they will likely discuss several options.  They could call for the replacement of the CEP with a non-partisan group of actors and an immediate re-organization of elections for January 14 -- or as soon as possible.  Alternatively, they could call for Article 149 of the Constitution to be invoked making the head of the Supreme Court the interim president in charge of organizing elections.  Whatever their chosen path, it must be quick and decisive.  Haiti cannot sustain a protracted political crisis.

HAITI: PHASE II DU COUP D'ETAT ELECTORAL PAR STANLEY LUCAS

Mardi 30 Novembre 

L'INITE a reussi la phase I du coup d'etat electoral. Ils ont empeche la participation massive de la population aux elections en s'assurant que les citoyens ne pouvaient pas retrouver leur bureau de vote pour voter. Ils ont aussi dans la soiree du Samedi 28 au Dimanche 29 Novembre rempli les urnes  a travers le pays. Lundi et tot Mardi l'INITE continuiait le remplissage des urnes dans de nombreux sections communales pendant que les candidats de l'opposition attendaient une annulation. En melangeant la propagande politique a travers les journalistes payes de l'INITE avec la violence de basse intensite (civils armes de l'INITE, elements de la PNH et MINUSTAH), cliquez ici: http://radiokiskeya.com/spip.php?article7279 ils ont prit controle du desordre pour accoucher ce qu'ils voulaient.

Aide d'une gaffe de Michel Martelly, cliquez ici: http://metropolehaiti.com/metropole/full_une_fr.php?id=18515 INITE a exploite le Lundi 29 Novembre une fissure pour affaiblir l'opposition democratique pendant que le CEP changeait les resultats pour garantir que le parti au pouvoir obtienne deux choses. La premiere la majorite absolue au parlement (Senat et Chambre des Deputes) et la seconde envoyer Jude Celestin au second tour avec Miralnde Manigat. Ils ont pratiquement reussi a manipuler les resultats pour leur donner les deux tiers au parlement. Aller au deuxieme tour dans un scenario pareil sera un suicide collectif pour la democratie.

L'objectif de l'INITE est clair, le controle absolu du parlement, de la primature, de la presidence, d'un Conseil Electoral Permanent pour dix ans, de la Cour de Cassation, une nouvelle constitution lui permettant de rester au pouvoir indefiniement.

Malgre tout il n'est pas trop tard. Entre l'ambition personnelle et ces enjeux pour l'avenir collectif des citoyens et de la nation, Manigat, Martelly, Baker, Ceant et les autres comprennent-ils? Sauront-ils s'elever la hauteur des aspirations des citoyens d'Haiti et de la Diaspora? Ou, vont-ils dans un deuxieme tour fictif se laisser attraper comme des rats dans la ratiere de Preval comme ce fut le cas pour les candidats des senatoriales de 2009? Pour plus de details cliquez ici: http://solutionshaiti.blogspot.com/2009/06/elections-en-haiti-et-planification-de.html

La concertation, le dialogue et un minimum de confiance peuvent aboutir a une victoire. L'ambition personnelle et individuelle accoucheront l'echec total et la fin d'une ere. L'opposition a trois jours pour decider de son avenir. Preval ne connait qu'un langage, la force du beton.

Ros-Lehtinen Expresses Regret About Irregularities In Haitian Elections;

Calls for immediate corrective action

(WASHINGTON) – U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Ranking Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, expressed her regret regarding allegations of irregularities in today's  elections in Haiti and called for immediate action to correct the situation. 

Statement by Ros-Lehtinen:

"I am deeply concerned about and deeply regret reports of serious irregularities in today's elections in Haiti. They must be investigated immediately and steps taken to correct this wrong perpetrated against the democratic aspirations of the Haitian people.

"Going forward, I urge all parties to exercise calm. Violence must be avoided.  All parties and officials must work together to ensure that all necessary steps are taken so that the Haitian people can be confident in a fair and accurate result which reflects their will."

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Senator Richard Lugar Statement on Haiti's Elections

Our hearing also coincides with elections in Haiti on Sunday. I and others urged President Preval to enact much needed reforms to ensure the credibility of these elections. He refused to do that. As a result, the elections have been fraught with numerous reports of irregularities and fraud.

Political uncertainty now threatens to exacerbate the human suffering in Haiti, where more than 200,000 people died as a result of the January earthquake and 1.3 million continue to live in tents. A cholera epidemic has killed more than 1,700 people in the past month.

The United States has an interest in helping to address the ongoing humanitarian problems in Haiti, and we will continue to do that through various means. But our willingness to direct funds through the Haitian government depends on the fair, transparent, and legal resolution of the current political crisis.

ELECTORAL COUP IN PROGRESS IN HAITI BY STANLEY LUCAS

November 28, 2010 , 10:20 a.m.

After months of warnings by civil society leaders and political parties, President Preval is in the process of executing his electoral coup today, November 28, 2010.  It was widely reported that Preval had replaced members of the BEDs and BECs in most of the departments to put in place people loyal to him and his ruling party, INITE.  We also knew that 45% of the people had lost their electoral cards in the earthquake and that the voter lists were not updated to account for the 300,000 people who lost their lives in the earthquake.  Voters reported difficulties in securing their electoral cards after spending long hours at the local election precincts.

It should come as a surprise to no one that reports are streaming in this morning and afternoon about members of the ruling INITE party, in collusion with the partisan Provisional Electoral Council (in charge of election management), stuffed pre-marked ballots (in favor of INITE and their favored candidate Jude Celestin) into official ballot boxes overnight. Most of the 10 geographic departments of Haiti have reported voter intimidation and violence against voters showing up at the polls to cast their votes.

This election does not meet any of the minimum internationally accepted standards of a democratic election.  What is going on is an electoral coup d’etat executed by President Preval and his ruling INITE party.  After months of warning about this eventuality, the candidates that were leading the now have no other option than to retreat and call for national mobilization to counter the coup and the violence.  This is a shameful power grab and a travesty in a country that is still reeling from the disaster of the January earthquake and is now struggling to contain a massive cholera outbreak.

What remains to be seen is how the international and domestic media will cover this election process.  We hope they finally get this story right and side with the Haitian people who deserve the right to freely elect their leaders.