#4291: From HOL: NOAH on the Elections (fwd)

[Robert Corbett <bcorbett@netcom.com>]

From: Max Blanchet <MaxBlanchet@worldnet.att.net>

Elections-prise de position
NOAH: opposite view on the issue of "percentages".

Washington, 06/18/2000--NOAH (the National
Organization for the Advancement of the Haitians), an
advocacy group based in Washington, DC and
committed to the development of Haiti  is taking side
in the debate around the "vote percentages".

In a letter dated June 2, 2000, the O.A.S. Electoral
Observation Mission in Haiti noted that according to the
provisions of the Electoral Law the methodology used to
calculate the vote percentages for Senate candidates,
was not correct. These vote percentages serve as the
basis for determining which Senate candidates would
have been elected during the first round of voting. Article
64 of the Electoral Law establishes that, in order to be
elected Senator in the first round of the polling, it is
necessary to obtain an absolute majority of the valid
votes (50% of the valid votes + 1 vote).

On June 5th, the US Administration States concurred
with the statement of the OAS on May 21 elections and
urged the CEP to remedy the problems identified by the
OAS. On June 14th, United Nations Secretary General
Kofi Annan expressed his concern over the continuing
irregularities in the methodology used to calculate the
vote percentages for Senate candidates, as pointed out
by the Organization of American States (OAS) Electoral
Observer Mission and reiterated his expectation that in
calculating the final results the Haitian electoral
authorities will strictly adhere to the procedures
stipulated in the electoral law of July 1999.

On June 17, 2000, CEP president Leon Manus fled the
country, fearing for his life after he refused to sign the
elections results based on this methodology, in violation
of article 64 of the electoral law.

On June 18, NOAH issued a press release in which the
organization considers OAS' statement as an "attempt
to tarnish the legitimacy of the victory of Haitian people".
NOAH's press release stated that: "Even if there is some
remote validity in the arguments retained by the OAS
Mission for calculating the percentages, the proper
methodology should have been stipulated before and
not after the elections". NOAH indicates "that the OAS
and the international community were deeply involved in
the preparation of the elections, therefore they were
aware of the methodology used in the previous elections
in Haiti and it should not be considered as a surprise or
an unprecedented action. NOAAH questions the

timeliness of the debate: "The Haitian community, the
people of Haiti is asking why the international community
has chosen to initiate that debate right after their
overwhelming mobilization and victory."

posté le 6/19/2000

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