#4097: Democracy enhancement : Pina comments

[Robert Corbett <bcorbett@netcom.com>]

From: kevin pina <cariborganics@hotmail.com>

    Friday June 2 2:30 PM ET
    OAS Finds Flaws Haiti Vote Count
    By MICHAEL NORTON, Associated Press Writer

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP)``The percentages attributed to leading senate 
candidates reveals a very serious  error,'' Orlando Marville, chief of the 
OAS election observer mission, said in a letter to Haiti's electoral 
council. He asked officials to recalculate the percentage of votes won by 
all candidates -a procedure that could force several declared Senatewinners 
to run in a second round of voting."

What I do not understand is why they, the ever so concerned OAS, did not 
have observers watching the tallying from beginning to end.  If they did, 
why was this not reported prior to the announcement of results by the CEP? 
When did it first dawn on them that the votes cast for minor candidates were 
not reflected in the totals?

I would find it difficult to believe, given the investment of the OAS and 
the international community in this last election, that there were no 
observers present throughout the tallying to have a first glimpse of the 
CEP's calculations.  That begs a repeat of the question, why was it not 
brought to the attention of the CEP immediately and corrected prior to the 
announcement of results?  The timing and manner in which this was handled 
does not reflect well upon an OAS role in the stewardship of democracy in 
Haiti.


" Most opposition parties accuse Lavalas of working to establish a
totalitarian state, and they warn they will boycott the second round of 
voting scheduled for June 25. The opposition says Lavalas intimidated 
opposition candidates before the election, denying them a level playing 
field. At least 15 people - most opposition activists - were slain in 
political violence before the election, and about 34 opposition candidates 
and activists were arrested afterward."

Does anyone remember when I wrote that the press under reported that members 
of Famni Lavalas were also arrested and detained? Well, we have finally 
witnessed the evolution of a big lie right before our very eyes.  Nowhere is 
this mentioned nor the fact that Lavalas has denied any involvement in 
killings in Haiti. The pretension of balance has fallen away and we are left 
with a version of the truth that will play in Peoria.  Notice how the themes 
we have been discussing over the past two months are now reemerging as a 
unified whole. Aristide the impending totalitarian dictator and charismatic 
father of unruly masses at the head of a political party implicated in 
bloody assassination tactics against their opponents.   Sprinkle in a few 
unsubstantiated claims about dope dealing in Aristide's circles, chill and 
shake well before serving!!  This is even less sophisticated than the 
Haitian Times. At least they have a real stake in it, presumably through 
their new group of young entrepeneurs, a.k.a. "putshists in training" 
program (please read last posting of Haitian Times editorial).

kp

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