#207: U.S. releases funds for Haitian voter ID cards: Carey replies to Constant

[Robert Corbett <bcorbett@netcom.com>]

From: Henry F. Chip Carey <polhfc@langate.gsu.edu>

 The necessary costs stem from the high salaries of CEP officials, to try 
 to reduce corruption; the completely federal system, creating many more 
 electoral offices; the need for extra equipment due to the lack of roads 
 and communications; the additional training for administrative workers 
 since neither parties nor NGOs are capable of reliable verification; the 
 additional training of voters; and the need to pay for foreign military 
 and civilian advisors and monitors because Haiti has not come remotely 
 close to self-sufficiency in either administration or verification. The 
 unnecessaary costs stem from having conducted a voter registration for 
 each major election and lost the data base each time and from  
 kick-backs on procurement for ballots and equipment.   As elections go, 
 Haiti's are about twice the cost of Central American elections, but much 
 less than in the Balkans, where security is vastly more expensive.

******************
Henry F. (Chip) Carey
Assistant Professor of Political Science
Georgia State University
Atlanta, GA 30303
tel: 404-651-4845
fax: 404-651-1434

>>> Robert Corbett <bcorbett@netcom.com> 8/5/99 1:22:16 PM >>>

From:JPCONSTANT@Sogebank.com 

Can anyone tell us why do elections cost so much in Haiti ? What are the
elections cost (comparative basis) in other caribb. nation, Dominican
Rep. for ex. ? Are there other countries where the electoral card has to
be re-issued everytime they hold elections ?

JPC