Members of the CEP
President Rene Preval and his ruling party INITE were voted out of office in the November 28 and March 20 elections. Since being elected in 2006, they have failed to deliver for the Haitian people, and the regime was marred by corruption. Haitians resoundingly voted for change. But, of course, INITE will not go quietly. They have no track record of respecting democracy, so we should not be surprised. Their efforts now are focused intensively on stealing legislative seats.
After the first round of elections in November, the ruling party tried to manipulate the results for many legislative seats and to secure a spot for their presidential candidate in the runoff despite the fact he did not receive enough votes to get there. In response to the efforts of President Preval and his allies to control and manipulate the results, the voters of Haiti stood up to defend their vote. The international community stood by them for the Presidential elections but neglected the Legislative. While the people succeeded in winning the battle on the Presidential side, Preval and INITE managed to slip through a couple of their Deputy candidates who did not win. That was the first part of Preval’s revised electoral coup. In order to move the process forward the OAS mission remained silent on these stolen seats, and they were never addressed.
On March 20 Haitians went back to the polls for the Presidential and legislative runoffs. Election day went surprisingly well with only rare spots of violence. The hope of the voters was that this time the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP), widely known to be a puppet of President Preval, and the ruling party INITE would respect their choice. They did, but only for the Presidential elections.
A month later the when the CEP finally issued the legislative results, we learn that they rigged the results stealing 37 seats in the House of Deputies and six Senate seats between the first round and the runoff. This was a shock for domestic and international observers. Political party poll watchers that were present at the tabulation center every step of the way had a handle on the preliminary results. But the results CEP released were completely different. This blatant stealing of the Parliament has enraged Haitian voters; these INITE “elected” officials cannot even set foot in their districts for fear of violent retaliation.
Outgoing President Rene Preval
This undemocratic act threatens the legitimacy of Parliament. An Organization of American States Electoral Mission has identified a list of 19 Deputies seats stolen by INITE, but has so far remained silent on the other stolen seats. The OAS issued a report that has been communicated to the government of Haiti and the CEP and encouraged them to implement their recommendations to rectify the elections, but of course, nothing has been done yet. U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy urged the State Department to take appropriate steps to convey our concern, including assessing the visa suitability and the lawful permanent status in the United States of Haitians officials who may be involved in election fraud. It is critical that the outcome of the electoral process is recognized as free and fair by the international community and, most importantly, by the Haitian people.
Meanwhile, President Elect Michel Martelly has called on President Preval and the CEP to respect the vote of the people. He added that an investigation should be launched by the appropriate Haitian institutions to find those responsible so they can be brought to justice. The people agree.
In order to definitively resolve this issue, the broad consensus among the people of Haiti is the following:
- After his swearing in, President Martelly should create a commission of three members to evaluate the first and second round legislative elections with the support of domestic electoral observation organizations.
- On inauguration day, May 14, he should fire the corrupt CEP and the technical members of the office BCEN.
- Immediately, name a new, nonpartisan Director General for the CEP.
- Consult with the sectors included in Article 289 of the Haitian Constitution to put in place a new independent CEP that will implement the recommendations of the commission and prepare and organize the senatorial and municipal elections of November 2011
Meanwhile, all of the District’s where elections were stolen are mobilized with some level of tension and violence. This is an urgent issue and needs to be addressed urgently, or Haiti will likely see some level of political instability. For more see: http://solutionshaiti.
HAITI: L’INITE ESSAIE DE VOLER DES POSTES AU PARLEMENT par Stanley Lucas
Les electeurs ont vote contre le President Rene Preval et son parti INITE lors des elections des 28 Novembre et 20 Mars. Depuis leur election en 2006, ils n’ont rien delivre pour le peuple Haitien alors que le regime nageait dans la corruption. Les Haitiens ont donc vote avec force le changement. Mais comme on s’y attendait l’INITE refuse d’accepter la sanction des citoyens. Dans le passé ils n’ont jamais repecter les principes democratiques, nous ne devons pas etre surpris de leur comportement antidemocratique. Leurs effort actuels se concentrent sur comment voler des sieges additionels au parlement pour garder une partie du pouvoir.
Apres le premier tour des elections en Novembre, le parti au pouvoir a essaye de manipuler les resultats des elections pour voler de nombreux sieges des legislatives et essayer d’envoyer leur candidat a la presidence au second tour malgre qu’il n’avait pas recu assez de votes pour y aller. En reponse aux efforts du President Preval et de ses allies pour controler le processus et manipuler les resultats, les votants ont prit les rues pour defendre leur vote. La communaute internationale les accompagna pour les elections presidentielles mais negligea les manipulations des legislatives. Alors que le peuple a reussi a gagner la bataille du coté présidentiel, Préval et Inite réussirent a donner la victoire a quelques un de leurs candidats qui n’avaient pas gagne. C’etait la premiere partie du coup d’etat electoral de Rene Preval. Afin de faire avancer le processus electoral la Mission d’Observation Electorale de l'OEA resta muette sur ces sièges volés, et ce probleme n’a jamais ete pose.
Les membres du CEP
Le 20 Mars les Haitiens votaient pour le second tour des Legislatives et des Presidentielles. A part quelques rares cas de violences tout se passa bien le jour des elections. L’espoir des votants etait que cette fois le Conseil Electoral Provisoire (CEP), connu comme la marionette de Rene Preval et de son parti INITE respecteraient leur choix. Ils ont respecte le choix mais seulement au niveau des presidentielles.
President sortant Rene Preval
Quand le CEP publia un mois plus tard les resultats des Legislatives, on se rendait compte qu’entre le premier et le second tour ils volaient 37 sieges a la Chambre des Deputes et six sieges au Senat. C’etait un choc pour les observateurs nationaux et internationaux qui avaient déjà consulte les resultats preliminaires. Les mandataires des partis politiques ayant suivi l’ensemble des etapes au centre de tabulation avaient aussi une idée nette du contenu des resultats preliminaires. Mais les resultats publies par le CEP etaient completement differents. Ce vol flagrant a revolte les votants; Ces faux “elus” de l’INITE ne peuvent meme pas mettre leurs pieds dans leurs circonscription de peur de represailles violentes.
Cet acte antidemocratique menace la legitimite du parlement. La Mission d’Obervation Electorale de l’Organisation des Etats Americains (OEA) a identifie une liste de 19 sieges de deputes voles. L’OEA a publie un rapport sur la question qui a ete communiqué au Gouvernement Haitien et au CEP en les encourageant a appliquer rapidement les recommandations pour rectifier les resultats des elections, mais jusqu’a present rien n’est fait. De son cote le Senateur Patrick Leahy le Vice President de la Commission d’Allocations de Fonds a l’Etranger a demande au Departement d’Etat de supprimer les visas et les cartes de residence de ceux responsables du coup d’etat electoral.
De son cote, le President Elu Michel Martelly a demande au President Rene Preval et au CEP de respecter le vote du peuple Haitien. Il a ajoute qu’une enquete nationale devrait etre lancee par les institutions haitiennes competentes pour identifier ceux qui sont responsables pour qu’ils puissent faire face la la justice. Les citoyens du pays sont d’accord.
Pour trouver une solution definitive a cette situation, le consensus general entre les Haitiens est la suivante: Apres sa prestation de serment, le President Matelly devrait:
- Creer une commission de trois membres pour evaluer le premier et le second tour des elections Legislatives avec le support des missions locales d’obervations electorales.
- Revoquer le Directeur General du CEP et les membres du BCEN.
- Nommer un nouveau Directeur General independant.
- Consulter les huit secteurs de l’article 289 de la constitution pour nommer un nouveau Conseil Electoral Provisoire qui sera charge d’appliquer les recommandations de la commission et d’organiser les elections pour le Senat et les Mairies en Novembre 2011.
En attendant, les circonscriptions ou les elections ont ete volees sont surchauffees avec un certain niveau de tensions et de violences. C’est une situation qui doit trouver une solution urgente sinon Haiti risque de tomber dans l’instabilite politique.