Fraud fears ahead of Haiti election

[ChangoLoa]

Haiti's first presidential elections since January's devastating earthquake is set to go ahead as planned, despite a worsening cholera epidemic and voter registration woes.

Fears of fraud are adding to Haiti's widespread problems ahead of Sunday's presidential and legislative elections, but despite the challenges of holding a nationwide poll in the earthquake-hit Caribbean country, UN officials insist the elections are needed in order to increase stability.

Meanwhile, as the death toll from cholera across Haiti soared past 1,600 and the number of confirmed infections approached 70,000, candidates continued their aggressive campaigns to decide a successor to Rene Preval, the Haitian president.

'Fraud everywhere'

The head of Haiti's electoral registration, which signs up eligible voters and is tasked with verifying identity cards on election day, voiced fears that widespread fraud could "hijack" the results of Sunday's crucial poll. "I think there will be fraud everywhere," Philippe Augustin said.


http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2010/11/2010112654948131124.html

[Mika]

1. The most popular political party of Haiti is banned from the election by the CEP

Complexities and Contradictions: CARICOM and Haitian Elections
http://www.stabroeknews.com/2010/features/11/22/complexities-and-contradictions-caricom-and-haitian-elections/

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CARICOM, the United States and other international donors have committed to funding and working with the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP), notwithstanding allegations of fraud, unconstitutional activity, and the politically motivated exclusion of candidates and entire political parties. The constitution does not grant the CEP the power to exclude any political party from participating in any election. The composition of the CEP has also come under scrutiny, as President Rene Preval has been accused of having a disturbingly close relationship with the organization, raising serious doubts about the Council’s ability to remain politically neutrally. In addition, its current members were unconstitutionally appointed by Preval, and the final candidate list appears to be highly influenced by his opinion – which includes his son in law, Jude Celestin.

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If the elections go forward in their current contested form where 14 political parties have been unconstitutionally excluded – the Fanmi Lavalas party of Jean Bertrand Aristide was amongst those barred from participating – there is little chance that the results will not be contested by the Haitian people. Indeed, Ambassador Granderson’s caution at the recent press conference that concerns about violence remain an issue, highlight the very real possibility that unease and dissatisfaction with the electoral process – one that the OAS/CARICOM mission will go down on record as endorsing – will spill over into the streets. It is becoming blatantly apparent that the Preval government and the international community – embodied in the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) – are working together to undermine the voice of the Haitian people in favour of the donor nations and business communities. Recent mobilizations against MINUSTAH in the wake of the cholera outbreak are a sign of the resurgence of the indomitable Haitian spirit of resistance, but the outcome and future for the nation remains anything but clear.

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