Elections in Haiti

[paulk]

"Imagine if the Federal Election Commission in the United States disqualified the Democratic and Republican parties from the 2012 presidential election and declared that only candidates of minor parties could run. No one would consider it a fair election, and certainly the people of the United States would rise up, claiming the election is unconstitutional and undemocratic.

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Yet the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections in Haiti on Nov. 28 are just that -- unfair, unconstitutional and undemocratic. The country's Provisional Electoral Council, which itself is not constitutionally composed, is refusing to allow the country's majority party -- Famni Lavalas (Lavalas Family) -- to participate in the election. Thirteen other legitimate political parties are also being excluded from parliamentary elections.

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The result is a faux election that will have lasting consequences for Haiti and the international community.
It will undermine the stated goal of the United States and its allies to achieve ``stability'' in Haiti, and it will undermine the legitimacy and sustainability of a central Haitian government that is not elected by, but for, the people.
In a report to the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., called upon President Préval to restructure the Provisional Electoral Council and ensure the participation of opposition parties, including Famni Lavalas. Without this, Lugar argued, the November elections will lack credibility. Lugar warned, ``The absence of democratically elected successors could potentially plunge the country into chaos.''


http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/09/08/1813042/unfair-and-undemocratic.html

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another article -

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bill-quigley/five-reasons-to-care-abou_b_788608.html

Interesting that a Republican, Lugar, is speaking out about these elections.


Does anyone know what the Obama administration's position on these "elections" is?

[malaise]

1. What elections

Aristide's party isn't even allowed to participate. Fuck that. They'll soon steal all the beaches and kick the fishermen off the beaches as they've done everywhere else. More shock doctrine.

[jwirr]

2. Disaster Capital in action. God help the people of Haiti.

[malaise]

3. I hope they're not waiting for him

:D

[jwirr]

4. You are right - in my belief we are supposed to do the will of God

which means they are going to wait for us a long time since greed seems to be the name of the game now.

[Initech]

5. Is Wyclef Jean still running?

[paulk]

6. no, he was also disqualified

Not many people responding -

I'm kind of amazed that this subject holds so little interest for my fellow DUers

here we have a blatently abused democratic process -

and no one seems to care.

why did the Obama administration condemn "elections" in Myanmar and yet have nothing to say about the "elections" in Haiti?