Like most everything in Haiti’s tradition, last Sunday election was an occasion for disorderly events, and confusing interpretations. On one side, observers of the Organization of American States (OAS) and the Caribbean Common Market (CARICOM) recognized the validity of the November 28 election, regardless the “irregularities.” However, the local observers have denounced the serious irregularities and massive fraud recorded at divers polling places. This was also the position taken by several civic organizations who, along with 12 presidential candidates claimed the annulment of the elections.
. This was not the position of leading candidates Mirelande Manigat, Joseph Michel Martelly, and Charles Henri Baker who want the CEP (Conseil Electoral Provisoire) to count the votes. Martelly explained his position saying, “I did not sign the document requesting the annulment of the elections,” The members of the electoral institution had clearly stated yesterday during a press conference they had no plans to cancel the election they considered a day curly and successful. The CEP president had declared that irregularities in 60 voting places out of more than 1,500 does not justify an annulment of the election.
However, Martelly indicated that the electoral institution must respect the vote of the people, because he is the winner of these elections as the people cheered him loudly during Sunday’s demonstration. He was referring to a mass manifestation that blocked Delmas road while he was addressing the crowd from one of his big trucks carrying his popular huge loud speakers. Candidate Charles Henri Baker was standing by Joseph Michel Martelly on the truck.
As much as any citizen can exercise his right to protest against irregularities and request annulment, the representatives of the international institutions which have financed the whole election process were obliged to request that the ballots be counted and envision the possibility of a second round in case any candidate had reached the 51% winning percentage. It is expected, however, that this second round will involved Mirlande Manigat and Joseph Michel Martelly.
During that famous Sunday election, it has been reported that names of some members of the government as well as of certain candidates were not on the list of their poling places. Interestingly, It has been reported that some ordinary illiterate citizens who went to the wrong poling place were told to enter the number on their voting cards in the internet in order to locate their proper voting place. As these poor Haitians did not have a computer, they called a friend or relative in the U.S. to whom they communicate the number and received the necessary location.
It had been said also that in isolate cases, citizens who presented their receipts to withdraw their voting cards, they were told to wait long enough for the service to close. Their receipts were just thrown away. These incidents, although isolated, show the low mentality level of too many Haitians. The new president will need a valid team of dedicated and qualified citizens who help me clear out the waste and build a whole new country.
The Tragicomedy of a Chaotic Sunday Election
