8990: USAID on May elections (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: kevin pina <kpinbox@hotmail.com>

In searching through USAID statements on their Haiti programs, I came across 
these two descriptions of the May 2000 parliamentary elections:

Here's the first one which interestingly enough contains the qualifier " 
despite a voting process that was judged by international observers as 
largely free and fair." It is an introduction to USAID/Haiti written by 
Lewis Lucke, USAID/Haiti Mission Director at the beginning of FY 2001.

FULL TEXT: http://www.usaid.gov/ht/welcome.html

The past year has been a challenging one for our democracy and justice 
programs. The disputed ballot counting process of the 2000 parliamentary 
elections ¾ despite a voting process that was judged by international 
observers as largely free and fair ¾ underscored that Haiti continues to 
struggle with its democratic transition. The USAID justice reform program 
remains closed, and support to the Haitian National Police, Haiti's first 
civilian police force, also ended in the summer of 2000.

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This second version offers no such qualifier and appears to reflect the 
shift in policy and information we have been experiencing of late. It was 
posted August 17, 2001.

FULL TEXT: http://www.usaid.gov/country/lac/ht/

The flawed parliamentary elections in May 2000, followed by a boycotted 
Presidential election, discouraged Haitians and outsiders alike who had 
hoped that the thwarted hopes of the past would be succeeded by a 
democratically elected government and economic revival. Instead, rising 
political tension, common crime, growing insecurity, economic stagnation, 
and a lack of serious government engagement in meaningful economic reform 
continue to be the norm. The Aristide Government was installed in February 
2001 with promises of reconciliation and economic progress. Those promises 
will be hard to honor until the current political impasse is resolved and 
support from the international community is re-established.





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