16423: NCHR: Press Release (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Volunteer <Volunteer@nchr.org>

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:  Merrie Archer, Director, Human Rights Programs
	    954-462-8231, marcher@nchr.org

Haitian Coalition Denounces the Government of Haiti's
Unilateral Rush to Hold Elections

New York, August 18, 2003 - The National Coalition for Haitian Rights (NCHR)
decries the government of Haiti's announcement last week that parliamentary
and municipal elections will be held on November 23, 2003, with no
provisions made to address widespread concerns for the electoral process'
security and fairness. "The government's premature launching of the process
is in blatant disregard of the legitimate concerns of human rights groups,
journalists, opposition groups, Haitian civil society and the international
community, who have all incessantly called on the GOH to institute a climate
of security to allow for safe, free and fair elections," stated Dina Paul
Parks, NCHR's Executive Director.  To date, the government has done little
to address these fears.  "NCHR denounces the government's precipitous and
unilateral decision to hold elections as a dangerous and futile exercise
that will exacerbate the country's political, social and economic crisis,"
Paul Parks added.

Furthermore, the Haitian government's plan to entrust the electoral process
to a CEP, formed in 2001 shortly after President Aristide's inauguration, is
ill advised and in violation of its commitments.  "The Haitian government
has clear obligations under the terms of OAS Resolution 822," said Merrie
Archer, NCHR's Director of Human Rights Programs.  "In addition to the
security concerns, a new, independent and credible CEP, reflecting a
cross-section of Haitian society, must be created in order to organize these
elections.  Granting an old and contested CEP the power to run this
electoral process is reckless at best and disdainful of the already weakened
democratic institutions at worst; nothing short of a blueprint for
disaster," concluded Archer.

While acknowledging the parliamentary void that will ensue in January should
elections not be held this year, NCHR notes that such void is the result,
for the most part, of the GOH's many missed opportunities to address the
issues surrounding elections and its failure to respect its commitments.
The potential for this constitutional anomaly does not grant the government
a free hand to bully its way through yet another flawed electoral process.
Rather, the government should take steps to ensure a smooth process with
maximum participation.

NCHR advises the Lavalas administration against committing another grave
error by launching an electoral process consigned to failure from the
outset.  Instead, NCHR calls on the GOH to:

*	Immediately rescind current plans to hold elections in November,
given the impossibility of meeting the conditions necessary for free, fair
and democratic elections in such a time frame.
*	Immediately redouble its efforts to institute a climate of security
for all by, among other measures, rejecting violence from all sectors and
arresting, prosecuting and punishing all human rights abusers and other
criminals.
*	Engage in serious efforts to create a neutral and credible CEP, as
called for in Resolution 822.  This new CEP should have the power and
independence to establish a sensible electoral calendar, taking into
consideration the numerous challenges facing the country.

Finally, the government should engage in good faith discussions with a
wide-cross section of Haitian society and the international community to
find a workable formula in order to avert a government run by decree as of
January 2004.


---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.495 / Virus Database: 294 - Release Date: 6/30/2003