Few people anywhere have suffered more for so long, yet endure and keep struggling for change. For brief periods under Jean-Bertand Aristide, they got it until a US-led February 29, 2004 coup d’etat forced him into exile where he remains Haiti’s symbolic leader – for his supporters, still head of the Fanmi Lavalas (FL) party he founded in 1996 to reestablish links between local Lavalas branches and its parliamentary representatives.
From then to now, nothing has been the same. U.N. paramilitaries occupy the country. Washington effectively controls it. President Rene Preval got a choice – go along or pay the price. He submitted knowing what awaits him if he resists. Nonetheless, he’s disappointed bitterly.
Haitians suffered dearly as a result, deeply impoverished, at times starving, denied the most basic essentials, plagued by violence, a brutal occupier, police repression, an odious and onerous debt, and exploitive sweatshop conditions for those lucky enough to have a job in a country plagued by unemployment and deprivation.
Elections, however, are regularly scheduled and held, the latest for April 19 – democratic in name only, this time for Haiti’s senate. Here’s the problem. On February 7, AP headlined: “Aristide Allies, Ex-Rebel Barred from Haiti Vote.” It refers to Haiti’s Provisional Election Council’s (CEP) February 6 disqualification of Fanmi Lavalas candidates on procedural grounds. At stake are 12 open seats in the 30-member body, ones vacant since early last year after 2007 elections were postponed when Preval dissolved the CEP because of infighting. Delays persisted after food riots, a prime ministerial ouster, parliamentary wrangles, and last summer’s catastrophic hurricanes from which the country has yet to recover.
Radio Metropole reported that “at least 40 of the 105 (registered) candidates….were rejected” with CEP officials unavailable for comment. Expecting protests, it barricaded its headquarters in anticipation.
On March 9, a Haitian judge ruled the CEP’s action invalid at the same time thousands of FL supporters demonstrated in Port-au-Prince during Bill Clinton and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s visit. They demanded reinstatement of FL candidates and reintegration of the party overall, the one Haitians support overwhelmingly and want elected to serve them.
A week earlier, FL sued the CEP for excluding its candidates on grounds that their registration papers lacked Aristide’s signature, a first-time ever technicality. Judge Jean-Claude Douyon agreed in stating: “The political rights of the Lavalas have been violated” and ordered their “reintegration,” provided “each individually meets legal standards.”
They had, and according to one of their lawyers, Camille Leblanc: The CEP “had no justification for its arbitrary decision of exclusion, since the Lavalas political organization had fulfilled all the requirements to participate.” At the time, it was unclear if CEP would yield. Constitutionally, it’s the “final arbiter” on all election matters and in the past ignored court orders.
At the same time, huge crowds massed in front of the National Palace awaiting a Clinton, Ban Ki-moon, Preval press conference. They had signs, banners, and T-shirts displaying Aristide’s image, and from a sound truck asked Clinton to tell Obama that since the “kidnapping of our president … [our] situation has only worsened.” One demonstrator told Haiti Liberte: “We are waiting for the soonest possible return of the president….and if Lavalas is not part of the elections, free and fair [ones] will not take place.” In addition, Preval was denounced as a traitor, and repeated chants were “Down with the MINUSTAH,” the UN paramilitary occupiers.
Clinton and Ban Ki-moon were there for a purpose – to bolster Washington’s control, support the military occupation, encourage local sweatshop industry, boost Rene Preval, keep him weak and subservient, diffuse popular anger, put a friendly face on a repressive MINUSTAH, and convince Haitians that jobs and aid are coming, repeatedly promised in the past, then reneged on so Haitians expect nothing this time. It’s why they support Lavalas, denounce Preval, and demand Aristide’s return.
On April 3, they were reminded again when Preval’s Justice Minister, Jean-Joseph Exume, fired Judge Douyon, accusing him of corruption in an unrelated case in retribution and as an excuse to ignore his decision. However, Douyon responded that Exume threatened him not to hear the case saying that Haitian courts have no authority to overrule the CEP. As a result, Preval’s handpicked Council is “final arbiter,” meaning Lavalas is excluded and Haiti’s democracy is an illusion.
Earlier, the coup-installed Latortue regime tried a similar stunt to prevent Preval’s 2006 election and almost succeeded. Only massive street protests forced it’s hand to let Preval’s victory stand – a very dubious one considering how impotent he’s been ever since, enough to arouse Haitians openly to denounce him with just cause.
Sham elections will be held on April 19, shamefully with Preval’s approval. Once again, Haitians will lose out. Their long overdue rights will be denied, the result of Obama continuing the same hard line policies as George Bush.
Here’s a background piece on the upcoming Senate election in Haiti I found insightful:
“Poll projects low voter turnout in Haiti: Protests banned”
http://haitiaction.net/News/KP/4_16_9/4_16_9.html
Related Link: http://haitiaction.net/News/KP/4_16_9/4_16_9.html
Has Lendman even been to Haiti? I don’t think so from his bio and history.
To suggest that past elections in Haiti have been anything more than what will happen on April 19, 2009 is to ignore reality. The 2000 elections were stolen by Aristide, with the international community support. In polling stations with 450 registered voters…the count was zero…5…10…or a few more. The presidential ballot may have seen fewer than 2000 vote nationwide since there were few polling stations and little interest.
5% is a landslide, if the observer wished to declare it such. It is a failure, if that is his goal in bending public perception.
Artistide/Preval still control the Electoral Council so whatever happens is what they want, not what the people wish for. You must be on the ground in Haiti to undertand this. I am, and have been, on the ground here for a number of years and see things for what they are.
It is time to stop worrying about thwarting individual’s goals and show concern for the massive Haitian majority that is ignored as a matter of course.
You forget (Why bother with all the facts if they are inconvenient!) that when all was said and done that instead of resolving their problems in court prior to submitting a list of candidates to the CEP, three (I repeat 3!) separate groups purporting to be the legitimate Fammi Lavalas submitted candidates to the CEP.
It was only after the CEP rejected the first two lists that one of the factions submitted a document claiming that their leader was the party’s legitimate (should I say heir?) representative. The document was immediately challenged by the other factions.
Lavalas should sit this election out, patch its self-inflicted wounds, get its act together and present itself for the next round of elections.
By the way, did you bother to read Haitian electoral laws and constitution?
Not to mention this article is pretty clear plagiarism from another article that appeared on April 6, 2009. Here’s just one example of many:
Controversial Senate elections planned in Haiti
http://haitiaction.net/News/HIP/4_6_9/4_6_9.html
On April 3, they were reminded again when Preval’s Justice Minister, Jean-Joseph Exume, fired Judge Douyon, accusing him of corruption in an unrelated case in retribution and as an excuse to ignore his decision. However, Douyon responded that Exume threatened him not to hear the case saying that Haitian courts have no authority to overrule the CEP. As a result, Preval’s handpicked Council is “final arbiter,” meaning Lavalas is excluded and Haiti’s democracy is an illusion.
Earlier, the coup-installed Latortue regime tried a similar stunt to prevent Preval’s 2006 election and almost succeeded. Only massive street protests forced it’s hand to let Preval’s victory stand – a very dubious one considering how impotent he’s been ever since, enough to arouse Haitians openly to denounce him with just cause.
Now compare Lendman’s text to this excerpt from an article by Kevin Pina on April 6, 2009;
The arrival of the Clinton/Ki-Moon public relations junket in Port au Prince also served to distract attention away from another important event. That same day Haitian judge Jean-Claude Douyon ruled, “The political rights of Lavalas have been violated,” and he ordered “the reintegration of candidates of that party, if they each individually meet the legal standards.” On April 3, Preval’s Minister of Justice Jean-Joseph Exumé fired Judge Douyon accusing him of corruption in a seemingly unrelated case. Douyon has since made it clear in the Haitian press he believes the move is in retaliation for his ruling ordering the CEP to include Lavalas in the upcoming elections. He further claims Exumé threatened him not to take the case and made it clear the Preval government’s constitutional interpretation is the judiciary has no jurisdiction to overrule a CEP decision.
This makes Preval’s handpicked election council “the final arbiter” in any dispute related to the electoral process. Ironically, that was the same position taken by the Latortue regime when it tried to use the CEP to stack the deck against Preval in 2006.
Here is another excellent piece for background
http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=46537
Lendman is just saying what many of us are saying including the US gvt’s propaganda outlet Voice of America last week.
To try to do character assassination is not really working Mr. Holmstead.
Pina and Lendman are friends so it is not surpising that they might share the same analysis.
Mr. Collins your comment is wrong about 2000. You should probably get out
of hotel Montana more often.
yes for low participation but Aristide and Lavalas both won in the senatorial and the presidential. It is not even controversial in the mainstream news.
Lendman is just saying what many of us are saying including the US gvt’s propaganda outlet Voice of America last week.
To try to do character assassination is not really working Mr. Holmstead.
Pina and Lendman are friends so it is not surpising that they might share the same analysis.
Mr. Collins your comment is wrong about 2000. You should probably get out
of hotel Montana more often.
yes for low participation but Aristide and Lavalas both won in the senatorial and the presidential. It is not even controversial in the mainstream press.