Journal du 11 -18 novembre 2015:hO 11/10/15 3:47 aM Page 11
Haïti-observateur
11 -18 novembre 2015
11
EDITORIAL
Another election crisis: Haitians still turn abroad
S
ince the fall of the Duvalier dynasty, Haitians have been turning overseas to find the solution to the electoral crisis they face. But the actions of countries called friends of Haiti or of states identified as donors take advantage of such opportunities to impose their decisions, which don‘t always necessarily go in the direction of Haitian interests. Thus governments issued from these exogenous interferences face endless crises, from beginning to end. Following recent elections, the first held under Martelly, with more than four years late, the results have engulfed the country into another crisis, this time potentially could lead to a civil war. Since the elections were held supposedly to put Haiti firmly on the rails of democracy it came out to be the opposite of what the nation expected. The leaders took the occasion of the 25 October vote to organize a parallel poll aiming to take the reins of power by an electoral coup d’État acting in the sordid interests of the presidential family. In November 2010, elections to choose a successor to René Préval were marred by irregularities and fraud. Bringing an international observer, namely Mark Weisbrot, co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Resarch based in Washington, to denounce “the attempt of the OAS to rehabilitate a fundamentally flawed process would be laughable if there were not a tragic injustice to the Haitians.” While at it, he qualified the November 2010 ballot as a “sham democracy.“ Today Haiti is facing the same experience that inspired Mr. Weisbrot‘s reflections on this ballot. While for these elections, some observers believe that this time around, fraud and irregularities are far more widespread than all that was observed for previous votes. To the point of prompting other witnesses to conclude that on October 25, Michel Martelly and his team organized a parallel vote to the one supervised by the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP,) if not in concert with them. Indeed, the massive fraud and irregularities committed by the supporters and leaders of both the government in place and officials of PHTK, make them the norm, not isolated acts. While leaders of the Haitian Bald Headed Party (PHTK,) as part of these elections, having made massive distribution of ballots, allowing thousands to vote without restraint, is plain unimaginable. Without photos of boxes filled with ballots stored in the private residence of the Minister of the Interior, no-one would believe such treachery. Similarly, Red Cross vehicles used in the transport of ballots and
the minutes are unthinkable scenes in a vote run according to democratic standards. When false police officers are planted within the ranks of the security force to help carry out this vast criminal operation designed to replace a vote eagerly awaited by citizens and international defenders of democracy, all this is outright amazing. These crimes were not committed by chance October 25. They became part of the same plunder that characterized elections in the past, and have been endorsed or negotiated by an international community wanting to ease its conscience; if not to reinforce the policies of the states called political friends of Haiti or donor countries. The embassies that still seek to impose their governments’ decisions on the Haitian people in cases of fraud and irregularities in past elections — but especially those of 2010 — have opted for resolving these crises through easily negotiated solutions in foreign offices and diplomatic missions in Haiti. Which gives the fraudsters and criminals of all kinds reason to believe that foreign partners will not want to sacrifice their interests if the same crises become recurrent. Nothing more natural than if the same criminals, who swing into action at the occasion of each vote, apply themselves to refine their methods. For, after the 2010 experience, fraudulent elections careerists have introduced new technologies in their craft, giving them not only an edge on regular elections, but also making it possible for them to avoid international observers attention. Undeniably, the October 25, 2015, election criminals went for the big one. The experience acquired in previous such operations, but especially in the poll organized by the CEP led by Gayot Dorsinvil in November 2010, has been exploited to the maximum. No doubt these people will never give up a process that enrich and empowers them at the same time. Under such conditions, they stand to perfect their “techniques“ in order to better succeed in their crimes. In light of this vast operation of electoral fraud undertaken as never before in the brief democratic history of Haiti, we must lay the blame on this international community which, seeking to solve the problem it has contributed to create has become a part of it. If Haitians are turning to their « foreign friends » to help resolve this new crisis, according to democratic standards, the latter must seize the opportunity to finally change course. For, after contributing to squander Haitian elections, in recent years, it‘s their responsibility to set the record straight. And not to persist in rewarding fraudsters and election criminals.
HaïtiObservateur P.O. Box 356237 Briarwood, NY 11435-6235 Tél. (718) 8122820