Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 16 décembre 2015

 Haiti Deserves a Legitimate Election

NEW YORK TIMES

By THE EDITORIAL BOARD, DEC. 12, 2015

There is an electoral crisis in Haiti. An election in October to choose a successor to President Michel Martelly was so marred by reports of ballot tampering, illegal voting and other abuses that the result has been widely denounced as illegitimate.

Not just by the dozens of losing candidates — there were 54 people on the presidential ballot — but by independent election observers, human-rights groups, Haitian religious leaders, organizations of the Haitian diaspora and ordinary citizens who have taken to the streets in angry, sometimes violent, demonstrations.

The country is supposed to hold a runoff election on Dec. 27 between the first-place finisher, Jovenel Moïse, and the first runner-up, Jude Célestin. But Mr. Célestin has called the October results a “ridiculous farce” and threatened to withdraw from the runoff. He has formed a coalition of eight presidential candidates who are demanding an independent investigation of the first election and reforms to assure the integrity of the second.

About all that can be said in favor of the October balloting — for president, but also for Parliament and local mayors — is that it was less violent than usual. But by other measures of credibility, skeptical observers said, it was a colossal failure. Turnout was low, at 26 percent. Observers told of altered ballots, and of supposedly indelible ink that rapidly faded from voters’ thumbs. The government body managing the election, the Provisional Electoral Council, distributed more than 900,000 accreditation cards to representatives of political parties. The cards were meant to be a brake on fraud, but they may have spurred it: Those who carried them could enter polling places and vote even if their names were not listed. Observers said a black market in the cards arose, potentially allowing many buyers to vote early and often.

Mr. Moïse, President Martelly’s chosen successor, has declared himself satisfied with the October results. So has the Organization of American States and the State Department, which sent the special coordinator for Haiti, Kenneth Merten, to try to persuade Mr. Célestin to enter the runoff as planned, with promises of a better Round 2.

But the United States should know that it’s impossible to build a legitimate government on a rotten foundation. It should instead be pressing for an independent, Haitian-led inquiry to examine the October vote. The runoff should be postponed, so the October ballots can be openly counted and the results legitimized — if that is even possible, given the irregularities. And any effort at staging a credible election should include reform of the electoral council, which has been accused of partisanship and incompetence.

Since it was stricken by an earthquake nearly six years ago, Haiti has been on a slow path of righting itself, a path complicated by the struggle to rebuild the nearly obliterated Haitian government and to establish strong and sustainable Haitian-led institutions.

Voters in Haiti are distrustful and disheartened, with good reason. The country has no functioning Parliament; it disbanded in January when members’ terms ran out. Mr. Martelly has been ruling by decree. Haiti faces serious problems — a dysfunctional government, voter apathy, joblessness, poverty and cholera — even without a crisis of presidential legitimacy. Its current emergency may lie far from the center of global attention. But anyone who cares about democracy in a country whose fate is so closely tied to the wandering and sometimes malign attentions of the United States and the rest of the world should pay attention. Haitians deserve better than this.

Haiti Special Coordinator, Kenneth Merten,

Meeting Leaders in Port-au-Prince

and Engaging Stakeholders in Anse-à-Pitres

December 9, 2015

                                                                                                                        No. 2015/63

Haiti Special Coordinator Kenneth Merten arrived in Port-au-Prince on Thursday, December 3, for consultations with a range of political, business, civil society, and international community leaders.  In his meetings, Special Coordinator Merten emphasized the United States’ support for fair and inclusive elections. Special Coordinator Merten urged all parties to work together to ensure that elections being organized are peaceful and credible. 

Haiti Special Coordinator Kenneth Merten also visited Anse-à-Pitres on Monday, December 7 and Tuesday, December 8, to engage with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and Non-Governmental Organizations working on migration issues with the Dominican Republic.  He departed the country on Wednesday morning, December 9.

“There will be no elections on December 27^th, (2015),” according to the Senator and presidential candidate for the political party Konviksyon, Steven Benoit, during a demonstration in the streets of Port-au-Prince, on the occasion of the international day of human rights, on Thursday, December 10, 2015.

"What we are experiencing is beyond imagination. We will continue the struggle in favor of publication of real election results," requires Benoit, in statements during a demonstration convened by different organizations of human rights in Haiti and to claim respect for the civil and political rights of the Haitian people.

Published fraudulent results would allow the candidates of the Party Haitian Tèt Kale (PHTK) to power and to invade the Parliament, denounced the candidate to the Presidency, placed in 8th position in the final results of the presidential election of October 25, 2015.

"As engaged citizens, we are here to tell the Government that the rights of Haitians are not respected: the right to food, to education, the right to vote and security," says Benoit, indicating that the Group of the eight (G8) protest candidates, he is part, remains always consistent in its position.

The G8 continues to demand the formation of an independent investigative commission to evaluate the elections of October 25, 2015; the cancellation of the second round of the presidential election - 27 December 2015 - announced by the stubborn provisional electoral council (Cep) despite the challenges that are growing in magnitude since the publication of the preliminary results, November 5, 2015; and the departure of Joseph Michel Martelly.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Evans Paul has begun a series of meetings for the establishment of a commission of election security.

For its part, the official candidate for the Phtk, Jovenel Moise, who came ahead in the presidential election results, is always campaigning, while rival Jude Célestin of Alternative for progress and emancipation League Haitian (Lapeh), placed in the second position, rejects any idea of going to the second round, on 27 December 2015.

 “The Washington Post”

EDITORIAL

Haiti on the brink as newly elected president of Haiti in 2011, Michel Martelly, a former pop star, said high-mindedly that it was his dream to unify the Caribbean nation, whose chronic instability rivals its profound poverty as a source of suffering. Now, four years later, Haiti is as politically polarized as ever, and Mr. Martelly deserves a large share of the blame.

Amid repeated standoffs and squabbling over electoral rules between the president and his opponents, it took more than four years for the country to organize legislative elections. In the meantime, in January, the national parliament was dissolved after its term expired, and many local offices went unfilled.

Under Haitian law, Mr. Martelly cannot serve a second consecutive term, and a first round of presidential elections to choose his successor went forward in October. However, the balloting, which featured 54 candidates, was marked by fraud, vote-buying and repeat voting.

Whether the fraud was massive or simply extensive is a matter of debate. Either way, it took weeks to announce the final first-round tally, and confidence in the results was not helped by the fact that the top finisher was Mr. Martelly’s hand-picked successor — a previously obscure businessman named Jovenel Moise, who is known as “Banana Man.” (Mr. Moise has been active in promoting banana exports.) Protests and street violence have ensued.

With the runoff to elect a president set for Dec. 27, significant parts of Haitian civil society, including human rights organizations and the clergy, have called for a postponement to recount and verify the first-round results. So has the second-place finisher, Jude Celestin, who says he will not take part in the runoff without an independent review of the first-round results.

Mr. Celestin and others are at least partly justified in doubting the integrity of the process so far, as well as the independence of the nine-member provisional electoral council. However, starting from scratch or postponing the second round indefinitely is a recipe for ongoing upheaval and more violence.

A recount is fine in principle, but it has been blocked by the electoral council; in any event, there is no guarantee that it would be seen as accurate and impartial. A better way out of the impasse is to proceed with the runoff with guarantees of enhanced scrutiny by international election observers from the Organization of American States and elsewhere, including the United States. Organizing that may require a brief postponement, but it should not be drawn out over many weeks.

As Mr. Martelly noted shortly after taking office, Haitians are desperate for national reconciliation. He has failed to deliver it, despite the advantage of having been the only democratically elected Haitian president to take power from a democratically elected predecessor.

Going forward with fair and transparent elections to choose Mr. Martelly’s successor is critical if Haiti is to have any hope of achieving national consensus, let alone surmounting the lingering effects of the country’s cataclysmic 2010 earthquake and a cholera epidemic that continues to claim lives.

Two truck drivers killed at the border by customs officers...

Haiti Libre - Sunday evening at border customs post of Thomassique (Central Department, 18 km of Hinche), according to preliminary information from the local police, customs officers opened fire on two trucks trying to enter the territory of Haiti avoiding control of their cargo. The two Haitian drivers : Nelson Déribert (53) hit by a bullet in the head died instantly and the other driver, Jean François Pierre, succumbed to his injuries during transport to hospital. Both were family men. Also according to police sources, the two drivers were known to the police for having previously been involved in acts of smuggling.

On Monday, the population under the shock of this news and very angry, took to the streets to protest against the violence of the customs officers, accusing them of being responsible for these two deaths. Barricades of burning tires were erected in the city center, and unidentified individuals set fire to the customs post, causing no casualties among customs officers, who were able to escape before.

Francisco Delacruz, parliamentary candidate for that constituency, criticized the excessive use of firearms by customs agents, against unarmed civilians.

The Unit for Maintaining Order (UDMO) was there in the middle of the day, but not intervene except by their deterrent presence, to avoid confrontation with the population and cause casualties...

According to our latest information warrants were issued against X against those responsible for the deaths of two drivers as well as against individuals involved in the fire at the customs office.

TB/ HaitiLibre 

Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 24 décembre 2015

 New Haiti commission to evaluate elections

The commission, created by order of the president, will assess Haiti's electoral process ahead of Dec. 27 runoffs

December 17, 2015 

President Michel Martelly on Thursday ordered the creation of a special commission to assess Haiti's electoral process ahead of Dec. 27 presidential and legislative runoffs that opposition factions have threatened to derail because of suspicions of widespread fraud.

Martelly, who has been ruling by decree since January, named five members to assess the electoral process over the next three days and then make recommendations to the Provisional Electoral Council and his government. He said they would have assistance from experts from the European Union and observers from the Organization of American States.

A broad array of rights groups, local election monitors and political factions has alleged that the Oct. 25 presidential and legislative elections in Haiti were so badly marred by ballot tampering, multiple voting and other irregularities that their validity was in question.

The No. 2 presidential finisher, Jude Celestin, has called the officially announced results a "ridiculous farce" and suggested he would boycott a runoff with the government-backed candidate who finished first unless a proper review of the elections was done and changes were made to the electoral council and police.

Celestin, a former state construction chief, has not been campaigning in recent weeks, but hasn't withdrawn from the runoff with Martelly's pick, political newcomer Jovenel Moise.

The council that oversees the electoral process has rejected insisted it lacks authority to authorize any review of the results and said the Dec. 27 date was firm.

Martelly was prohibited by Haiti's constitution from seeking a second consecutive term.

At a Thursday evening news conference, Prime Minister Evans Paul acknowledged that it would be "difficult" for elections to be held next weekend. But he also noted that the constitution mandates that new legislators take office Jan. 11 and the president give up his office Feb. 7.

It was not clear how the members of the new evaluation commission were chosen or what the precise scope of their review would be. Martelly said his "commission of evaluation" would be tasked with recommending measures to "ensure transparency and credibility of the electoral process."

The panel includes Patrick Aris of the Episcopal Conference of Haiti, which has been sharply critical of this year's elections, as well as Rosny Desroches, director of a Haitian observer group, and former Port-au-Prince Mayor Joseph Emmanuel Charlemagne.

The two presidential candidates expected to compete in the runoff could have a representative monitor the commission's work, according to the presidential decree.

The Associated Press

teleSurtv.net Latin America

Haitians Claim Fraud Ahead Presidential Runoff  

The country’s electoral authority is believed to be highly influenced by the U.S., who poured US$31 million into the electoral process. Thousands of people took to the streets of the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince on Wednesday to denounce fraud in the first round of the presidential and parliamentary elections that were held on Oct. 25.   According to results posted by the Provisional Electoral Council, Jovenel Moise, obtained 32.81 percent of the preferences, and Jude Celestin won 25.27 percent.  The electoral authority CEP is believed to be largely influenced by the United States that has paid US$31 million to support the electoral process, while protesters have largely demanded an independent commission to review the election outcome.   The massive march passed peacefully however there was an incident when some protesters began throwing stones to the U.N. peacekeepers that were helping authorities to safeguard the area.  ANALYSIS: Meet Haiti's Presidential Candidates  This is just another demonstration ahead of the runoff election scheduled for Dec. 27. The second round of voting will be between Moise, backed by the outgoing president and the ruling party, and Celestin, one of the more than 57 opposition candidates.  Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the world and still struggles with the legacy of the devastating 2010 earthquake and Western colonialism.   This electoral process was expected to end the political instability that has reigned in the Caribbean nation for the past three decades, particularly after the end of the Duvalier regime.  

The Senate rejects the government commission

In a note Thursday, the Senate deplored and denounced the establishment of a "Commission of Electoral Evaluation" and the unilateral character of the approach of the Executive.http://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-16089-haiti-flash-president-martelly-announced-the-creation-of-a-commission.html

"The Senate of the Republic deplores the decision of the Executive, which not only does not meet the demands of various sectors of the Nation but also does in no way contributes to resolving the crisis in the country."

Andris Riché, Senate President regrets that the position of the upper house has not been taken into account in the formation of the Commission, noting that the Senate had recommended the establishment of an independent Commission for the Evaluation and/or verification, to decide on the multiple allegations of fraud, irregularities surrounding the electoral process.

His colleague, Senator Jean-Baptiste Bien-Aimé rejects the formation of this Commission, that he described as diversionary tactic, arguing that election stakeholders should have participated in the formation of any commission. Moreover, he argues that the 5 members appointed by the Government, at one level or another, have links with the ruling party.

Haitians tell their embassy in Dominican capital to cut the red tape

Dominican TodaySaturday 19th December, 2015

Santo Domingo.- To the beat of a gaga rhythm and waving banners with their demands, dozens of Haitians protested outside the Haitian embassy in the Dominican Republic, alleging that they've already paid for all the documents needed to request Dominican residency but have yet to receive any.

Group spokesman Christophe Leonard said around 98,000 applications were submitted for the Dominican government program to regularize foreigners,

but have yet to receive any response not even from 5% of the requests.

For all of the three documents: birth certificate, ID card ...

Open our hearts to refugees

Consider refugees as persons, not problems.

MIAMI HERALD

Much of our Christmas observance has been sanitized to consist of warm fuzzy feelings. So it is not surprising that we forget that while Christmas celebrates the coming among us of the Prince of Peace, his coming was indeed “a sign of contradiction.”

We underplay the fact that the pregnant Mary and her husband, Joseph, were turned away from the inn. We forget the slaughter of the Holy Innocents — and that the infant Jesus was spared their fate only through the hurried flight into Egypt where the Holy Family lived for years as what today we would call “political refugees.”

WENSKI

Yet this is the Christmas reality experienced today by the ever growing numbers of migrants and refugees throughout the world. Indeed, today there are more than 60 million refugees and internally displaced persons living in our world — the greatest number since the end of World War II. Close to one-third of these people are from Syria and Iraq. And most are surviving in desperate circumstances. And, truth be told, many fail to survive at all.

Yet, in spite of this profound human suffering, many here in our country would shut our doors in the faces of those looking for a safe haven.

The United States has in the past 30-40 years generously resettled hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing conflict and its aftermath — Vietnamese from Southeast Asia, Kosovars from the Balkan region, and many African nationalities such as Congolese, Somalis and Sudanese, among others.

In the 1990s, nearly 90,000 refugees were admitted yearly. Given the immensity of the overall refugee population then, even 90,000 was a relatively low number. Yet it was more representative of the American people’s humanitarian traditions than the numbers admitted in the aftermath of our national tragedy of September 11, 2001.

We cannot give into our fear and retreat into the mindset of a “fortress America.” Certainly, given the enormity of what happened on 9/11 or what happened last month in Paris, one should not easily dismiss a certain anxiety about national security. But, in fact, refugees coming to the U.S. do pass security checks and multiple interviews. Sometimes the vetting process can take up to two years.

Certainly we can and should look at strengthening the already stringent screening program; yet we can do that while still continuing to welcome those in desperate need. Security fears should not be used as a smoke screen to justify heartless and senseless policies that would close our doors to victims of terrorism as the Bethlehem innkeepers closed their doors to the Holy Family that first Christmas.

The plight of the Syrians as well as the refugees from Iraq is desperate. These refugees — both Muslim and Christian — are extremely vulnerable families, women and children who are fleeing from brutal violence of the Syrian conflict, including the brutality of ISIS, which was responsible for the Paris attacks.

As Pope Francis said to the U.S. Congress this past September: We should “respond in a way which is always human, just and fraternal. We need to avoid a common temptation nowadays: to discard whatever proves troublesome. Let us remember the Golden Rule: ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you’ (Mt 7: 12).”

If we see the refugees as “persons” and not as “problems,” our great nation can continue to be a haven to those who, like Mary, Joseph and Jesus of yore, still flee from modern day Herods.

THOMAS G. WENSKI IS ARCHBISHOP OF MIAMI.

Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 30 décembre 2015

 Arrest in Haiti of a man wanted for murder in Boyton Beach

Boyton Beach (CBS MIAMI) – A man wanted in a Boyton Beach murder case is back in the United States after escaped to Haiti. U.S. Marshals and Haitian National Police took Caslyn Darinus 23, into custody on December 12^th.

A warrant had been issues for his arrest back in August following the robbery and murder of 46 year old Walson Alcide. Authorities found Alcide dead inside a Boyton Beach home located at 3211 N Seacrest Boulevard.

Following the murder, police say, Darimus made his way to New York and later to Haiti. He was extradited from Haiti to Florida last Friday. Once he arrived, he was booked into Palm Beach County jail. He is now facing charges for first degree murder, attempted first degree murder, home invasion robbery and aggravated assault with a firearm.

Another person was also charged in the case. Junior Volcy, 33 with first degree murder, attempted first degree murder, home invasion robbery and aggravated assault with a firearm.

Roger Biamby

The US Congress Needs to Hear From the Haitian Diaspora Now! Stop US Support for Violent and Corrupt Elections in Haiti! 

As the evidence of problems with Haiti’s elections mounts, the Haitian Diaspora in the United States has a unique opportunity to convince the U.S. Government to insist on the fair elections that Haitian voters deserve.  Please call your Representative in Congress on Wednesday, December 23, and urge them to tell the State Department to stop supporting the fiasco.

Take Action   Calling is easy!

1. Dial the Capitol Switchboard – 202-224- 3121. Ask to be connected with your Representative’s office.  (Click here to find your Representative by name or zip-code).

2. You will be connected with Your Representative’s receptionist. Ask to speak to the staff person who handles international issues.

 3. Whether you speak to the staffer in person, or just leave a message on his/her voicemail, here’s what you can say:

“My name is ___________ and I am a constituent from __(your city)___.  I am calling to ask that Representative ___________ urge the State Department to stop supporting the corrupt and violent elections in Haiti. Going forward with the final round on December 27 without an independent investigation of the fraud and other problems so far will undermine Haiti’s democracy and risk chaos in the country.”

You can use your own words if you prefer, but remember to keep it brief. Do not worry that you are not prepared for a long discussion about the elections. The staff member will just take your message without asking for more details.

If for any reason the receptionist can’t connect you with the staff person who handles Haiti, you can just ask the receptionist to take down your message and relay it to both the staff person and to your Representative.

4. Be sure to thank everyone for their time.

Please call on Wednesday December 23 and tell your friends and family to call too, and share this with others.  Let’s show how powerful our united voices can be!  Thank you for taking a minute and making this important call.

ECOSOC United Nations Economic and Social Council: Security Council Press Statement on Haiti Elections

The following Security Council press statement was issued by Council President Samantha Power:

The members of the Security Council stressed the importance of holding peaceful and credible elections as a critical element of Haiti's ongoing development, and trust that, with the support of the international community, the Haitian people will build upon the first two rounds of Haitian elections on 9 August and 25 October, and be able to bring the electoral process to a successful conclusion in the upcoming final round.

The members of the Security Council expressed their strong commitment to supporting free and fair elections and called on all political forces to work through the electoral process to ensure that the will of the people is reflected in the outcome of the election.

The members of the Security Council called on all candidates, political parties, and political actors to publicly commit to the electoral process and timely Government formation in accordance with the constitutional timeframe, including the inauguration of a new president by 7 February 2016.

The members of the Security Council acknowledged the steps taken by Haitian institutions to take corrective measures to address irregularities and improve the upcoming round of elections, and encouraged continuing attention to transparency.

The members of the Security Council took note of the creation of a Commission of Evaluation in Haiti and expressed support for initiatives to increase the transparency and credibility of the electoral process.

The members of the Security Council called upon all candidates, their supporters, political parties and other political actors to remain calm, refrain from violence or other provocations and resolve any electoral disputes through established legal mechanisms and to preserve the stability achieved in recent years with the support of United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH).

The members of the Security Council called upon the Haitian authorities to ensure a calm and peaceful environment, and urged MINUSTAH to continue to extend its critical support in this regard.

The members of the Security Council welcomed the continued efforts of the United Nations, other multilateral agencies and United Nations Member States in supporting Haiti's critical needs.

The members of the Security Council will continue to follow the situation on the ground in Haiti.

Martelly defends elections

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) – President Michel Martelly is defending much-criticized elections in divided Haiti and asserts that the opposition has spread unsubstantiated allegations about widespread electoral fraud purely to strengthen its position.

During an interview with The Associated Press, Martelly said he believed that disputed official results showing the government-backed candidate topped October's first round presidential vote was a genuine reflection of voters' will.

"We feel confident enough that what happened the first time will happen again because it's the vote of the people," the outgoing president said Monday on the grounds where the domed National Palace once stood before it pancaked in Haiti's 2010 earthquake.

Haiti's Provisional Electoral Council reported that Jovenel Moise of Martelly's well-financed Tet Kale party received nearly 33 percent of the votes cast on Oct. 25 in a packed field of 54 presidential candidates. Official results have the agricultural entrepreneur, a political newcomer hand-picked by Martelly, getting 117,602 more votes than second-place finisher Jude Celestin, a former state construction chief who was the government-backed candidate in the last election cycle.

Growing allegations of electoral fraud have brought sometimes violent street protests and so many accusations from civil society, religious and opposition groups that Haiti's Dec. 27 runoffs were postponed Monday.

For now, no immediate resolution to Haiti's electoral tensions is in sight. Officials say a new election date won't be announced until a special commission created by presidential decree can review the electoral process and make recommendations. A five-member commission was installed Tuesday night.

Martelly suggested that critics have wildly exaggerated the extent of irregularities on Oct. 25. On the whole, he said, balloting was remarkably "free and fair" in a country where elections have never been easy and are often marred by violence, intimidation and other irregularities.

He noted that after polls closed, international electoral missions and local groups hailed it as an apparent success. That contrasted sharply with an earlier legislative round in August that suffered from violent disturbances and other irregularities, even though international monitors said they were not serious enough to disrupt the legitimacy of the overall vote.

Martelly said the opposition was so troubled by Moise' status as the top finisher that leading figures started denouncing the elections as a mockery of democracy. Celestin has called the first-round results a "ridiculous farce."

"It looked like the potential winner was not what the opposition expected, so the same minute, the same night, they started building that perception" of fraud, Martelly said.

Opposition factions and some observer groups suspect fraudsters used some of the roughly 900,000 accreditations issued for political party representatives to facilitate multiple voting. There are also accusations that electoral council officials accepted bribes to secure spots in runoffs, among other allegations.

The various accusations have raised so many suspicions here and abroad that Martelly, under pressure, announced the creation of the evaluation commission. The idea was dismissed as merely a "cosmetic solution" by the opposition, but Martelly says his priority is a credible final round that will be recognized as legitimate.

In a Tuesday statement, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed concern over Haiti's electoral crisis and called for intensified dialogue "to ensure the transfer of power through elections" within the constitutional time frame.

Martelly, who was prohibited from running for a consecutive term, is due to leave office Feb. 7.

This year's balloting for nearly all of Haiti's public offices have been the first elections under Martelly's tenure. Despite pressure from the U.N., U.S. and others, previous efforts to hold legislative and local votes were snarled by bitter infighting between the executive and legislative branches.

Although Celestin's opposition alliance has called for resignations at the electoral council and judicial investigations, Martelly said the council, known as the CEP, has proven itself "strong enough and independent enough." He noted that the body was loudly praised as independent when it rejected first lady Sophia Martelly's bid to run for a Senate seat.

People said "that this was the best CEP, particularly at the time that they kicked my wife out of the race," he said.

Martelly said his main remaining task is handing over the reins to a legitimate government. He said he is seeking compromises with Celestin's camp, senators and the electoral council to ensure runoffs occur soon, but charged that some opposition factions are trying to derail elections so a transitional government would have to be put in place.

"They believe this is the only way they can get in power and also the only way they can organize elections for themselves," he said.

Three young people murdered in a bus on the road of Jacmel

According to Commissioner Frantz Lerebours, spokesman of the National police force of Haiti (PNH) last Tuesday evening, December 22nd, at 8 pm, three young men were murdered on the road to Jacmel, in the locality of Fondwa, while they were inside a public transportation vehicle servicing the Jacmel-Port-au-Prince route.

The information released by the Police suggests that the murderer just like victims was among the passengers on the bus in question. However the murderer was able to escape.

All the passengers of the vehicle were questioned at the local police station of the PNH in order to shed some light on this triple murder, which in many ways resembles an execution indicated commissioner Lerebours.

Ban Ki Moon expressed his concerns regarding the elections in Haiti

The general Secretary of the United Nations is advocating for more intense dialogues to ensure the transfer of power takes place through elections following the constitutional deadlines in order to maintain stability and protect the democratic process.

Since taking office on January 1st, 2007 Ban Ki Moon visited Haiti on July 14th, 2014 when he spent 48 hours.

The eighth general Secretary of the organization of United Nations said he is worried by the increasing political uncertainty in Haiti

He called upon both candidates qualified for the second round to cooperate with institutions concerned in order to advance the process.

Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 4 janvier 2016

 Haiti: the elections of October 25th "plagued with irregularities"

The Independent Electoral Commission determined, in its report published last Sunday, that the general and presidential election which took place in Haiti on October 25th were "plagued with irregularities," as denounces by the opposition since the vote.

During the first round of the presidential elections of October 25th, the candidate backed by the administration, Jovenel Moïse collected 32.76 % of the votes, compared to 25.29 % for Jude Célestin.

Since the announcement of these results at the end of November by the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP), the Haitian opposition denounced massive frauds to benefit Jovenel Moïse. His opponent Jude Célestin refused to campaign before the creation of an independent commission to investigate these charges.

In response to these demands, President Michel Martelly released a decree on December 22nd announcing the implementation of an "Independent Commission for Electoral Evaluation."

In its report, submitted officially to the president last Saturday night, the commission lays the blame primarily on the CEP, whose mediocre work is first cause for the election irregularities.

During an interview with the members of the commission, the CEP recognized the weakness of its preparation, "The electoral institution admits that more than 60 % of the members of polling stations were incapable of correctly carrying out the required work,” indicated the report. In addition, the commission found many poorly written CEP reports, with deletions, mistakes, and calculation errors.

Voter signatures or fingerprints were missing from 57 % of reports analyzed by the commission, and out of 47 % of the verified documents, the numbers of the voters identification cards were incorrect. These identification cards are the document every citizen necessarily must present in order to be able to vote. For the commission, these irregularities are signs of potential stuffing of ballot boxes, read the 14-page report.

Haiti vote was marred by fraud: probe

Port-au-Prince (AFP) - Haiti's first round of presidential and legislative voting was marred by fraud, as opposition forces have charged, an independent panel said in its report released Sunday.

In the October 25 first round to choose a successor to President Michel Martelly, the candidate he backed -- Jovenel Moise -- drew 32.8 percent of the vote against 25.3 percent for Jude Celestin.

A runoff had been due to go ahead on December 27 but was canceled after fraud allegations.

The first round and the subsequent lengthy and delayed vote count was marked by street protests alleging official corruption.

Celestin refused to campaign until an independent electoral commission was set up.

The commission said in its report that work by the government's Electoral Board was sloppy, and led to many irregularities.

When the independent commission spoke with members of the (CEP) board, they said that 60 percent of polling station staffers were unable to do their work properly, the report said.

"There were also votes crossed out, as well as math or tallying problems," it added. Additional woes were found in voter ID inspection.

That likely meant "votes were not cast by some voters even though they were eligible to do so," the report stressed.

The October presidential election was the latest attempt in the Americas' poorest country to shed chronic political instability and work toward development.

Haiti is still struggling to recover from a devastating 2010 earthquake that killed more than 250,000 people and crippled the nation's infrastructure.

After being mired for years in a political crisis that kept any elections from being held, Haiti has been on an electoral marathon this year, holding presidential, legislative and now finally these municipal elections.

Since the end of the Duvalier dictatorship in 1986, Haiti has been jolted by coups and contested elections that have further undermined the fragile economy.

Haitian President says postponed runoff elections are slated for January 17

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS - JAN. 1, 2016, 6:15 P.M. E.S.T.PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Haitian President Michel Martelly has announced that a postponed presidential runoff vote will be held on Jan. 17.

Martelly says he received two letters from Haiti's Provisional Electoral Council warning that to fulfill the constitutional mandate of inaugurating a new president on Feb. 7, the runoff should be held by Jan. 17 at the latest.

On Friday, Martelly called on Haitians "to vote en masse, like they should, for the person who best represents them."

The council earlier postponed the Dec. 27 presidential runoff to allow a five-member commission to address allegations of multiple voting and ballot tampering.

The opposition is demanding an independent review of the late October first round of voting which it insists was rigged in favor of government-backed candidate Jovenel Moise. Jude Celestin came in second.

Haiti probe finds problems, but says election can go ahead

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — A commission probing Haiti's disputed presidential election reported Sunday that a first-round vote was plagued by irregularities, but indicated a final run-off can take place as scheduled in two weeks.

The report says the Oct. 25 contest between 54 candidates was "stained by irregularities," in which poll watchers intervened to help several candidates, whom it doesn't name. It recommends possible legal action against poll workers and others involved.

It also urges measures to improve the transparency of the election, saying the dispute over the October vote shows "clearly that the electoral institution no longer enjoys the credibility that permits it to continue with the process without the danger of sinking the country into a still-more-serious crisis."

But it did not indicate that the problems were serious enough to affect the outcome of the October vote or force further delay of the planned Jan. 17 run-off.

Opposition parties dispute official results showing pro-government candidate Moise Jovenel topping the October vote. He's due to confront second-place finisher Jude Celestin, who also has challenged the official count.

Because of the dispute, which led to boisterous street protests, Haiti's electoral council postponed the runoff, which was initially set for December, and the government named the commission to look at the process and recommend changes.

Brazil Grants Permanent Residence to 43,781 Haitians

According to Dreamim tv,

The Brazilian government announced last Wednesday the extension of legal permanent residence to 43,781 Haitian immigrants who have entered the South American nation over the past five years.

The “joint act of recognition, authorization and concession of permanence” was signed in Brasilia by the ministers of justice, Jose Eduardo Cardozo, and labor, Miguel Rossetto.

Under the plan, the undocumented Haitians who slipped into the Brazilian state of Acre from Peru and Bolivia will be able to remain in the country and seek employment.

“This act establishes a period of up to a year for them to request a foreign resident identification document. Those Haitians are formally accepted by Brazil with stability and security,” Rossetto said.

Cardozo said the Haitians are receiving the same treatment given to foreign nationals who have Brazilian spouses or children. The authorization offers the Haitians “a prospect of definitive permanence so they can reside and enjoy all the rights of a foreigner in Brazil,” the justice minister said. Those rights include eligibility for government assistance, he said.

The Haitians in Acre, who were brought to Brazil by smugglers, initially applied for refugee status, but as that process dragged on, authorities began to provide them with provisional visas that allowed the migrants to travel to other parts of the country in search of employment.

While none of the Haitians has received refugee status, the number of people accepted by Brazil as refugees has doubled in the past four years, from 4,218 in 2012 to 8,400 over the first seven months of 2015.

The earth trembled in the North / Northeast of Haiti

Last Saturday, a moderate earthquake of 4.5 magnitude 4.5 on the Ritcher scale shook the island of Hispaniola. Its epicenter was situated in Montecristi, 5 km northwest of Villa Vasquez in the Dominican Republic. It was felt at 10:25 am in the North / Northeast of Haiti, in particular in Ouanamithe, Fort-freedom, Cap-Haïtien (77km of the epicenter), and in Dajabón, Montecristi, Villa Vasquez, Santiago Rodriguez, Valverde (Mao) and other cities in the Northern Region of the Dominican Republic.

In Ouanaminthe, the shock caused a great deal of confusion and a wave of panic, as frightened residents ran away from their houses, still remembering the terrible earthquake of January 12th, 2010, which destroyed parts of Port-au-Prince and the other cities in Haiti.

It should be noted that earthquakes of 4.5 on the Ritcher Scale occur on average 6,000 times a year in the world. They causes visible damage to objects inside houses. Windows, doors and plates all tremble, and the vibrations are felt by people. However the damage they cause remains usually very light.

The Haitian Ministry of Defense, reminded that Haiti is a country at seismic risk, located between two big tectonic plates. He underlined that from time to time, small shockwaves can occur and that in spite of its advances, science is not still capable of determining exactly the date of an earthquake. He emphasized that only preventive measures, can be effective during such circumstances.

A Chilean blue beret hurt by gunshot in Port-au-Prince

On New Year’s Day, Chilean Captain Sanidad Max Wanner Espinoza, the doctor of "Grupo de Helicópteros de la Fuerza Aérea" of Chile, component of the Mission of stabilization of United Nations in Haiti (Minustah) was shot by an unknown shooter, confirmed the Chilean Ministry of Defense.

"The incident arose on Friday shortly after midnight in Port-au-Prince. Sanidad Max Wanner Espinoza, was hurt by a bullet in the back, which was fired from outside the base,” said they Ministry. Captain Wanner was transferred to the Argentine hospital for initial care in order to stabilize him, before being transferred by helicopter to a hospital to Santo-Domingo in the Dominican Republic, where he underwent an operation to extract the bullet, according to the Chilean authorities.

This incident occurred two days after the body of two policewomen who were members of the component UNPol of the UN Mission, were found dead at their homes in Cap-Haïtien, on the morning of December 30th, 2015. Minustah which opened an inquiry, has not communicated on the exact circumstances of their deaths yet.