Confusion, low turnout mar Haiti legislative vote

[Eugene]

Confusion, low turnout mar Haiti legislative vote
Fri Apr 21, 2006 8:35pm ET

By Joseph Guyler Delva

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (Reuters) - Confusion reigned at many polling stations on Friday
as fewer Haitians than hoped turned out to vote in a parliamentary election that will
decide if President-elect Rene Preval has enough support to govern the troubled Caribbean
nation.

While election officials said they were pleased with the second-round ballot, one man was
shot dead in a fight with a relative who supported a rival candidate, and two other election-
related deaths were reported but not confirmed.

<snip>

Turnout, estimated by European Union observers at between 15-20 percent, was lower than
in the chaotic first round of voting in February, when Preval won Haiti's first presidential
election since former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide was ousted in an armed revolt two years
ago.

<snip>

Polling stations were nearly empty at first in the capital Port-au-Prince. By midday lines had
grown but many people were told they were in the wrong place and could not vote.

<snip>

Full article: http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=winterOlympics&storyid=2006-04-22T003535Z_01_N21171985_RTRUKOC_0_US-HAITI-ELECTION.xml

[sutz12]

1. "Could not vote"

I guess they've been taking lessons from our Republican friends. :evilgrin:

[Judi Lynn]

2. Polling Stations Nearly Empty in Haiti

Polling Stations Nearly Empty in Haiti
Polling Stations Nearly Empty in Haiti, Despite Importance of Legislative Runoff
By STEVENSON JACOBS

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti Apr 21, 2006 (AP)— Polling stations were nearly empty Friday in a crucial legislative runoff intended to give this impoverished Caribbean nation its first popularly elected government since a revolt ousted President Jean-Bertrand Aristide two years ago.

The absence of lines and apparent public enthusiasm for the election was in sharp contrast to February's presidential vote, which returned former President Rene Preval to power.
(snip)

Preval's Lespwa party is likely to capture the largest number of seats, but no party has enough candidates to win a majority, meaning Preval will need to forge a coalition government. Final results are expected in about a week.

"We're here to vote for parliament because they will vote on the laws that will make our country better," said 26-year-old Patrick Saint-Tume, clutching his voter ID card as he stood in line at an almost empty voting station near Port-au-Prince's downtown.
(snip/...)

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=1871225

[Judi Lynn]

3. Police implicated in machete massacre released

4/19/06
Police implicated in machete massacre released

Three more police officers implicated in the bloody massacre at a USAID sponsored soccer tournament last August have been released from prison by order of Judge Jean Péreste Paul.

One of the released officers was Inspector Renan Etienne, who served as the director of the Central Police Administration (DCPA). Etienne was appointed police chief of northern Haiti shortly after a bloody coup deposed elected President Jean Bertrand Aristide. Working in Cap Haitian, he reportedly had strong ties to the group of ex-soldiers and drug traffickers who staged the coup.

Speaking on Radio Caraïbes Monday afternoon, a spokesperson for released police officers said that they did nothing wrong and expected to be fully cleared of any criminal acts in the August 2005 incident.
(snip)

Those fleeing the soccer field were hacked - some to death - by machete-wielding attachés from the Lame TiMachete. According to numerous witnesses, the machetes used in the attack were distributed to members of the Lame TiMachete paramilitary group at a police station on the day of the attack.
(snip/)

http://www.sfbayview.com/041906/machetemassacre041906.shtml

[annabanana]

4. absence of. . . . . . . "public enthusiasm for the election"

I wouldn't be terribly "enthusiastic" either...

[Robbien]

5. This is so sad

Voting equals a death sentence in Haiti.

[Rex]

6. Wow, same effect as Iraq. Who knew invading a country and ousting

the leader would make life so 'complicated' in the occupied country? :eyes: