US Statements on Haiti's Elections: Merely Checking a Diplomatic Box

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US Statements on Haiti's Elections: Merely Checking a Diplomatic Box
By Stanley Lucas

The United States Government has issued two statements on the November 28 elections in Haiti (see: solutionshaiti.blogspot.com/2010/12/haiti-preval-clings-to-his-coup.html ).

In both statements, they call on the Haitian political leaders and their supporters to be calm and follow the electoral contestation process.

These statements do no more than check a diplomatic box, and they do nothing to actually address the escalating tensions in-country.

There is still time to ensure that this situation does not become a full blown crisis, but action must be quick and decisive.

Calling upon the Government of Haiti and the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) to ensure the process reflects the will of the people is unrealistic.

The CEP has no credibility.

It is well known that this partisan CEP rigged elections in 2009; has presided over this 2010 electoral coup from the beginning; and, as the U.S. statement acknowledges, changed the vote even after the international community had witnessed firsthand the results in the tabulation center.

Why would the USG call upon the CEP to "reflect the will of the people" after these events?

The people are taking to the streets because they have no other alternative.

They have concrete proof of manipulation.

They have seen the mishandled, discarded and pre-marked ballots that flooded the country with their own eyes. They are now being encouraged to accept a process led by the very people who stole the election.

The CEP is in charge of the "electoral contestation process", and no one believes that they will review or respond to any of the documented proof of rigging and manipulation that has occurred.

And quite unfortunately, the international community, in a misguided effort to support stability, has lost credibility in the wake of the elections by making statements about some "irregularities", but an overall process that was sound.

International actors remind the Haitian people that it's important at this time to have new leadership.

The people of Haiti know that the stakes are high. As a result of failed leadership, more than1.

7 million Haitians are still sleeping on the streets among rubble from an earthquake that happened 11 months ago. The people of Haiti are not willing now - nor have they ever been willing - to swallow a less than perfect election for the sake of stability.

Now more than ever, the Haitian people want to see new, accountable leadership in charge of the country.

They Haitian people have called for the annulment of these rigged elections, a new CEP, and new free and fair elections.

If the international community truly wants to see the Haitian people be able to democratically elect their leadership, they should get behind the people they want to help. The situation is deteriorating too quickly to continue to play these diplomatic games.

Jasmine Czaeau, December 8 2010, 2:33 PM

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