Haiti: The Seven Steps to Preval's November 28 Electoral Coup By S. Lucas

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1. APPOINT PARTISAN ELECTORAL PERSONNEL: President Preval and INITE appointed a loyal, partisan nine-member provisional electoral council along with leaders of the departmental and municipal electoral bureaus (BEDs and BECs).

They also put in place the polling station personnel in order to manipulate the process and results.

2. STUFF THE BALLOT BOXES: During the night of November 28, polling station personnel and INITE operatives stuffed the majority of the ballot boxes with ballots marked for favored candidate, Jude Celestin.

Ballot boxes were also stuffed on the day of the election in plain view of cameras and poll workers (For video of ballot stuffing see:

Operatives continued to stuff the ballot boxes after the polls closed, and in certain regions, up until Tuesday, November 30, two days after the election.

3. RIG THE VOTER LISTS: To prevent the population from voting, the CEP manipulated the voter registration list to ensure voter names were not on the list. Almost 70% of the voters who turned out to vote, returned home frustrated because their names were not on the list. The goal was to ensure a low turnout making it easier to stuff the ballot boxes with pre-marked ballots.

4. VOTER INTIMIDATION: Prior to the elections, Preval distributed guns to party supporters throughout the country.

Intimidation and violence was reported in many departments, particularly during the poll closing where armed operatives prevented observers from watching the ballot counting and the supervision of the tally sheets.

5. MANIPULATE THE RESULTS: Vote tally sheets were changed in favor of INITE.

The operation commenced Sunday evening at the closing of the polling stations in the presence of the journalists.

6. ENGAGE OUTSIDE VALIDATORS: INITE and President Preval have engaged the support of certain corrupt foreign functionaries that make money with Preval, the Groupe de Bourdon and the INITE party.

These operatives will make statements in support of the electoral process serving as "outside validators" for the process.

For a summary of previous corruption, click here: washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/...

7. BRIBE JOURNALISTS/INFLUENCE MEDIA COVERAGE: INITE members have paid certain journalists and media outlets not to report election irregularities and essentially to certify the process.

Citizens tracking the news have identified five journalists who have omitted any mention of irregularities.

These journalists have also made a concerted effort to discredit the 12 presidential candidates who have rejected the elections, and have not reported the protests breaking out around the country.

For previous report on the elections, see:
1. solutionshaiti.blogspot.com/2010/11/fi...

Borton Gesner, December 3 2010, 7:51 PM

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