Haiti elections: chaos and confusion

[rabs]

Haiti elections slide into chaos
By JOE MOZINGO - Los Angeles Times

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- With the country reeling from the effects of January's earthquake and a devastating cholera epidemic, elections slid into chaos Sunday as thousands of voters complained they could not cast ballots and a majority of presidential candidates accused the government committing "massive fraud."

Twelve of the 18 presidential candidates issued a declaration saying the hastily prepared elections should be canceled and that the people should "mobilize" to reject the results. They accused President Rene Preval of conspiring with the electoral council to ensure that his party, Inite (Unity), was in charge of Parliament, and its candidate, Jude Celestin, won the presidency.

------ snips ------------------

There were no reports of significant violence. But if history is any indicator, Haitians will take to the streets en masse in upcoming days if they feel the government stole the election.

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Twelve of the 18 presidential candidates called a news conference at the Karibe Hotel in the early afternoon to criticize the election. Celestin was not among them.

"We denounce in front of the Haitian people, in front of the media in front of the international community, the massive fraud that is being committed throughout the country, in a majority of the voting centers," said Josette Bijoux, one of the candidates, reading their joint declaration.

"We demand the annulment pure and simple of these fake elections," she said.



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http://www.kentucky.com/2010/11/28/1544440/haiti-elections-slide-into-chaos.html

[Judi Lynn]

1. That election will have to be annulled. There was nothing clean in it.

From the article:

~snip~

At one of the polling stations he observed, 1,000 people lined up, but the list had only 39 names of people eligible to vote. "At several bureaus there were no lists of voters," he said.

At a sprawling tent camp off Delmas 33 road, men angrily confronted poll workers and U.N. peacekeepers. "There's 26,000 people in this camp and 840 ballots!" shouted George Kempes.

It's interesting to see Michel Martelly is still extremely popular.

They obtained their freedom originally from monsters. Maybe they can do it again. I wish they knew how many people support them in the sane parts of the world community.

[dipsydoodle]

2. Haiti presidential candidates denounce election fraud

Twelve of the 18 candidates in Haiti's presidential election have called for Sunday's vote to be cancelled.

The candidates, including opposition frontrunner Mirlande Manigat, said the polls were fraudulent and favoured the ruling party contender.

Thousands of people marched in Port-au-Prince, demanding that the poll be scrapped, while the UN mission in Haiti expressed its "deep concern".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-11856118

[Judi Lynn]

3. Horrible mockery of an election. Great article. Thanks. n/t

[Billy Burnett]

4. If Famni Lavalas party were allowed to run they would have won, hands down.

Imagine banning the NDP party in Canada, or the Democratic party here. That's just what banning Famni Lavalas is like to Haitians.

Does the LA Times Ed Board Know That Fanmi Lavalas Will Not Be on the Ballot?
http://www.cepr.net/index.php/blogs/relief-and-reconstruction-watch/does-the-la-times-ed-board-know-that-fanmi-lavalas-will-not-be-on-the-ballot

[bemildred]

5. I cannot believe they are even trying to hold an election in these conditions. nt

[rabs]

6. Election in the time of cholera

to paraphrase Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

The Haitian Election Tribunal today said the election was official.

Results to be announced on Dec. 10.

Lots of time to "fix" things.

[bemildred]

7. It's just kind of stupefying, like some bizarre dystopian movie.

And all supervised by the UN and various NGOs. I cannot figure what it is they are trying to do. It's like they want to make sure nothing gets fixed, nothing works. Except elections, we gotta have elections no matter what.

It has been a long time since I read Mr Garcia Marquez. I may have to try him again. I remember I liked it, but I don't think I got all of it back then.

[Billy Burnett]

8. The outcry would have existed cholera or not.

It is a rigged election when, for one, the most popular party, Famni Lavalas party candidates, in Haiti were banned from participating.

I don't see much if any msm even mention this.

There are a myriad of other election malfunctions going on there too, as there would have been with or w/o cholera.

[bemildred]

9. Yeah, I know.

But they don't even care about putting on a good show of fake democracy. Which goes back to the fact that the MSM has it's eyes carefully averted, so it's just a formality anyway, not even a real audience.