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#2751: ANALYSIS-Haiti election delay prompts concern (fwd)
From:nozier@tradewind.net
WIRE:03/06/2000 18:21:00 ET
ANALYSIS-Haiti election delay prompts
concern
PORT-AU-PRINCE, March 6(Reuters) - Few in Haiti were surprised when
officials postponed elections last week, but many on Monday were
concerned that lack of technical expertise and political infighting
might mean a lengthy postponement. Legislative and municipal elections
were scheduled for March 19 with run-offs on April 30. But numerous
setbacks in registering Haiti's four million voters --including
widespread theft of voter card materials --forced electoral officials
on Friday to extend registration and delay the election. The
nine-member Provisional Electoral Council (CEP)did not set a date but
said it would publish a new election timetable shortly. It was a good
decision," Canadian Ambassador Gilles Bernier told Reuters. Like many
in Haiti, which has a history of electoral fraud, Bernier said the
elections must be organised properly and all voters registered. Nobody
wants a repeat of Haiti's last election -- legislative and municipal
elections on April 6, 1997, which were annulled because of widespread
fraud. "The delay should not be too long because that could cause the
country a lot of problems," Bernier said,speculating that the elections
could be held in early April. U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan
expressed concern about the delay and said the country needed to hold a
new ballot quickly. "He emphasises the importance of prompt, free and
fair legislative and local elections for the restoration of Haiti's
parliament and for the strengthening of Haiti's democracy," U.N.
spokesman Fred Eckhard said. The date of the next elections takes on
added importance in Haiti this year because presidential are set for
December. Former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide is largely expected
to run for and win the presidency. His opponents do not wantlegislative
and presidential elections to be held together.
OPPOSITION SEEK TO CONTROL PARLIAMENT
Opposition groups hope to curtail Aristide's power as president by at
least controlling parliament. They fear that if one election is held in
December for all posts, Aristide's popularity could help sweep his
Lavalas Family party candidates into office. "We have to, on the one
hand, avoid one general election at the end of the year," Micha
Gaillard, a Port-au-Prince mayoral candidate, said. "At the same
time, though we may not like it, we must allow another two or three
weeks at the most, so that everyone is comfortable with these
elections." The electoral process has been marred by
protests,vandalism and numerous demonstrations in recent months sparked
by insufficient voter registration offices and absence of voter
materials. Partly to blame for the chaos is an inexperienced election
body, observers say. "There is a problem of expertise at the heart of
the electoral council, which has resulted in a lot of administrative
and technical problems," said one analyst, who asked not to be named.
Haitian law requires a nine-member permanent independent election body
-- selected by local representatives nationwide -- to serve a 10-year
term and organise all elections.
CONTROL OF ELECTORAL PROCESS
That body was supposed to have been created following the annulled 1997
elections. Instead, Haiti's elections continue to be organised by a
temporary or provisional election council, with individuals who lack
experience, and who are often tied to political parties."Each party
that is inside the electoral council always tries to control the
electoral process in their favour," the analyst said, adding that the
current electoral council is heavily influenced by President Rene
Preval. Preval, Aristide's close friend, named six of the current
electoral council members, and selected the other three from a list of
candidates proposed by a group of political parties. The dilemma is --
a provisional electoral council which can never organise good
elections, and a permanent electoral council which can never be
established," the analyst said. If all goes well with upcoming
elections, a permanent electoral body should eventually be created.
"Everyone wants to control the process so that they can have their
people inside the Permanent Electoral Council, people who will be there
to organiselections for 10 years," the analyst said. As the delayed
legislative and municipal elections, no one really knows if they will
be perpetually delayed. "There must be elections before the end of the
year,but when? Will it be general elections? Will it be partial
elections? This is the big question. Unfortunately, all this depends on
the president," the analyst said.