The Organization of American States (OAS) signed
an accord with the Haitian government to send international observers to monitor elections in 2015. In 2010, the
OAS election observation mission was considered highly
controversial due to its role in certifying the presidential elections. Haitian
Foreign Minister Lener Renauld believes
this accord “reaffirms the determination of President Martelly . . . to support
the electoral calendar,” and indicates the commitment of the Provisional
Electoral Council (CEP) to administer elections on schedule. Nevertheless,
there has been considerable speculation
and doubt
over whether elections will be administered on time.
Presidential
candidates Jacky Lumarque and Francois Levelt were disqualified by the CEP
over the weekend. Lumarque, running under the VERITE party of former President
René Préval, was disqualified
for failing to have a décharge. Levelt,
running under the Party for the Haitian Diaspora for Haiti, was disqualified
after prior felony convictions came to light. Earlier in the week, a
coalition of 17 political parties sent an open letter to the CEP urging for
Lumarque’s disqualification due to his failure to secure a décharge, and
calling on the CEP not to engage in double standards. Although CEP President
Pierre Louis Opont previously
stated that the presidential candidate list was final, he later said the
CEP would continue
to review the eligibility of presidential candidates.
The CEP put out an informational
video on enhancing women’s political
participation in the upcoming local elections. The one-minute video, currently
broadcast on local television and radio, calls on political parties to include
more female candidates and party representatives. The Haitian
constitution and Electoral decree
both mandate a 30% quota for women in public office, though the current rate of
female representation is around
5%.
Former Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe criticized the CEP for the unjustified exclusion
of political candidates. On Wednesday, June 17, Lamothe issued a strongly
worded statement alleging that the electoral process has been “forever
tainted” by the CEP’s arbitrary exclusion of candidates. Although Lamothe was
disqualified for the same reason as many other candidates, he has nevertheless called
on the international community to “understand the kind of elections that will
transpire in Haiti if nothing is done to restore my candidacy. It has allowed
and even seemingly encouraged this process to unfold; it now should also play a
role in redirecting the course before once again Haiti faces major political
turmoil.”
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