The CEP’s publication of final results for the presidential elections in spite of mounting evidence of fraud has set off a firestorm of criticism and protest. Opposition candidates from both the Group of Eight candidates and Fanmi Lavalas have responded by radicalizing their stances, with the former threatening to push for the establishment of a transitional government if the Martelly government does not meet their demands for major changes within the CEP and the police.
Shortly before the CEP published final results for the
presidential elections, the National Bureau of Electoral Litigation (BCEN) had
completed a verification process that revealed a high level of fraud and
irregularities. Prompted by a challenge to the preliminary results by Fanmi
Lavalas presidential candidate Maryse Narcisse, the BCEN had ordered a sample
of 78 tally sheets verified at the Tabulation Center. The verification, which
took place on November 21 and 22, found instances
of fraud or irregularities in all 78 tally sheets. 52 tally sheets showed
evidence of fraud by an electoral official (Article 178 of the Electoral Decree)
while the remaining 26 were thrown out due to irregularities (Article 171-1),
according the BCEN’s final judgement.
The CEP argued that the verification’s findings were not
representative of levels of fraud for the election as a whole and claimed that
the 78 tally sheets did not constitute a random sample because they had been
selected by party representatives. Other statistical evidence , however, had
already raised questions about the credibility of the official results. An exit
poll conducted by the Brazil-based Igarapé Insitute found that only 6.3% of
voters chose Jovenel Moïse for president, yet the PHTK candidate received 32.8%
of the vote, according to the CEP’s results. The survey, which was released on
November 20, found that 37.5% of respondents indicated they had voted for Jude Célestin,
30.6% for Moïse Jean-Charles and 19.4% for Maryse Narcisse. These findings
strongly suggested that Moise benefitted from fraud. Haitians were also found
to be thoroughly disillusioned
with the October 25 electoral process, with nearly 90% disagreeing with the
statement, “As far as I can see, this election is fair, there is no fraud.” The
survey was based on interviews with over 1,800 voters from 135 voting centers
throughout all of Haiti’s ten departments.
Disregarding calls from candidates and civil society for a
deeper investigation of fraud, the CEP went forward with the publication of
final results on November 24. The subtraction of votes from the 78 tally sheets
only slightly modified the preliminary results, maintaining PHTK’s Jovenel
Moïse in first place and LAPEH’s Jude Célestin in second. In response, thousands
took to the streets
across the country to denounce the CEP and the Martelly government. In
Port-au-Prince, police fired live ammunition at the crowds to break up the
protests on November 24, while protests in Cap-Haitien on November 29 were
reportedly dispersed by police using tear gas and batons.
On November 29, the Group of Eight (G8) candidates issued a statement
denouncing the CEP and radicalizing its stance compared to the coalition’s
previous positions. The G8 declared that it was “unacceptable that the CEP,
after having recognized the existence of massive fraud in the process, publish
these results without seeking, first, to determine the scale of the fraud, and
second, to identify the fraudsters and apply the sanctions called for in the
electoral decree.”
Pierre-Louis Opont and the CEP , according to the G8, were “acting
with a complete lack of transparency” and demonstrating “a legendary
submissiveness to the executive and the international community.” The G8
suggested that Martelly was using the police for political ends and even
deploying them as “death squads,” which was “dangerous and contrary to the
proper functioning of a democratic society.” The candidates also denounced the
wearing of masks by riot police at demonstrations.
The actions of the Martelly government and the CEP were “leading
the country towards chaos.” While the G8 had previously
demanded an independent commission to investigate claims of fraud, the
coalition of candidates stated that more substantial changes were now needed,
given the CEP’s manifest partisanship in favour of the ruling party’s
candidate, Jovenel Moïse:
“The G8 is convinced that free, honest, transparent and
democratic elections cannot be held under the presidency of Joseph Michel
Martelly without changes within the CEP, without changes in the leadership of
certain departmental divisions and certain units of the [Haitian National Police], and without a halt in the reprisals and police
repression against peaceful demonstrators.”
Anything short of this, the G8 suggested, would leave
democrats with “little option other than to struggle for the establishment of a
transitional government.” Such a transitional government would need to reform
the state, hold a national conference, adopt a new constitution and organize
new elections within 24 months.
While noting “the high risk of infiltration” in
demonstrations, the G8 concluded by calling on the population to “continue to
exercise its rights to demonstrate peacefully in order to have its will
respected” and to “not give in to blackmail, intimidation and manipulation.”
The crucial test of the G8’s proclaimed “unity and
solidarity” will be whether Jude Célestin is willing to boycott the second
round, if the group’s demands are not met. So far, Célestin and his party LAPEH
have not officially taken a position on his possible withdrawal from the
presidential race. The letter was signed by all eight candidates: Sauveur
Pierre-Etienne (OPL), Moïse Jean-Charles (Pitit Dessalines), Jude Célestin
(LAPEH), Jean-Henry Céant (Renmen Ayiti), Steven I. Benoît (Konviksyon), Eric
Jean-Baptiste (MAS), Mario Andresol (Independent) and Samuel Madistin (MOPOD).
Fanmi Lavalas, whose candidate Maryse Narcisse placed fourth
place according to the CEP and is not a member of the G8, responded to the
final results with a communiqué of its own. On November 25, the party’s
Executive Committee published a letter deploring the “indecent manner” in which
the CEP “proclaimed ‘final results’ instead of drawing the necessary
conclusions” after the revelation of “massive fraud” by the BCEN-ordered
verification. The letter stated that Fanmi Lavalas “has no other choice than to
reject these results fabricated by an anti-democratic apparatus aiming to erode
the very bases of the conquests by the Haitian people, who have made so many
sacrifices for the establishment of a democratic system in our country.”
Fanmi Lavalas, according to the statement, participated in the
election in spite of “legitimate suspicions” regarding the Martelly
administration’s intention to hold on to power; out of respect for democratic
norms, the party of former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide had pursued the “legal
path” as far as it could. But the letter made clear that this path was now
exhausted: “The popular will expressed during these elections has been
scandalously distorted by a giant operation of fraud, justifying the hundreds
of thousands of demonstrators across the country who are denouncing a veritable
electoral coup d’État.”
Fanmi Lavalas excoriated the CEP for its servility to “the
demands of the Executive and the international community, which have an agenda
and interests different from those of the Haitian nation.” The Executive
Committee accused the Core Group of “giving orders to the CEP and of meddling
in the electoral process,” in violation of the Vienna Convention’s provisions
concerning non-interference of diplomats in the internal affairs of another
state.
The letter warned that this “illegitimate electoral
operation can only bring misfortune to the Haition people,” and that stability
and the reinforcement of institutions would be impossible in such conditions. “Unpopular
and illegitimate representatives can only lead the country to disturbances that
are harmful to stability, itself necessary for good governance and social and
economic development, which are synonymous with better living conditions for
the Haitian people.” The party ended its communiqué with a vow to continue to
struggle alongside the Haitian people for the defence of their democratic
rights.
The Group of Eight letter:
Fanmi Lavalas Executive Committee letter:
No comments:
Post a Comment