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27197: Hermantin(Editorial)Slogging toward elections in Haiti (fwd)





Leonie Hermantin


Posted on Wed, Jan. 11, 2006

Slogging toward elections in Haiti

OUR OPINION: U.N. MISSION MUST ENSURE SECURITY FOR A CREDIBLE VOTE

Will Haiti ever be ready for elections? After pressure from the United Nations and the Organization of American States, the nation's electoral authorities have postponed the vote for the fourth time, this time until February 7. Delaying elections is a better option than holding them before the groundwork had been laid for a legitimate vote. Continual delays, however, can also damage credibility. At some point, the election must go forward -- and that should be soon.

Stable democracy

The goal is for Haitians to freely elect their own government. That would end the rule of the transitional administration appointed by the international community after former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide left office in 2004. At the same time, the representative government could begin Haiti's journey toward a stable democracy. What sounds simple in theory is terribly difficult in practice. The international community has poured more than $60 million into election preparations, but much remains to be done. Many of the 3.5 million voter-registration cards have yet to be distributed, and most of the 40,000 poll workers must be trained. The latest setback is an increase in kidnappings that is terrorizing Port-au-Prince. According to recent reports, 10 kidnappings occur each day, and as many as 20 kidnappings occurred during Christmas weekend. The rash of crimes by organized gangs prompted the Haitian business community to stage a general strike on Monday to demand better security from the 9,000-man U.N. peacekeeping force. Juan Gabriel Valdés, the U.N. chief in Haiti, vowed to take on the slum gangs and kidnappers and to stop any attempt to destabilize elections. But the unfortunate death of the U.N. troop commander, an apparent suicide, has hurt troop morale.

Of the 35 presidential candidates, former President René Préval leads in the polls. Mr. Préval apparently has distanced himself from his former ally, Mr. Aristide. Still, the slum gangs who long for Mr. Aristide's return and sponsorship seem to be betting on Mr. Préval. Other political factions, meanwhile, may find it in their interest to disrupt the elections simply to discredit a potential win by Mr. Préval.

Politics and guns

If this sounds confusing, it is. Welcome to Haiti, where politics, chaos and violence make recurring joint appearances. The U.N. Mission in Haiti seems determined to ensure credible elections. Providing security alone is a tall order, one that the mission must achieve if Haiti is to have any chance at all for a viable government. Even perfect elections won't guarantee Haiti's future unless its political players learn to resolve differences through the ballot box and compromise, not guns and threats.