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“Haiti stands as a stark reminder of the fragility of electoral democracy amid rising inequality and exclusion. After the fall of the Duvalier dictatorship in 1986, Haiti’s poor majority turned out en masse for general elections, but that cycle appears to be broken. Today, Haiti ranks among the lowest worldwide in terms of voter participation”
Read the full article from CEPR’s intrepid researcher/writer, Jake Johnston, here:
In the week of President-elect Jovenel Moïse’s recent inauguration, a new report by international legal observers argues that Haiti’s democratic institutions are suffering a profound crisis of confidence. Low turnout, voter disenfranchisement and lingering concerns about fraud raise troubling questions about the breadth of the incoming president’s mandate, according to the report, entitled Haiti’s Unrepresentative Democracy: Disenfranchisement and Disillusionment in the November 20 Elections. Read More
Jovenel Moïse was recently inaugurated as Haiti’s new president as the country returned to constitutional order following a one-year extra-constitutional period of interim rule due to electoral delays. Moïse had previously come in first in an October 2015 election, only to have the results thrown out due to fraud. Rerun in November 2016 under the interim government that replaced former president Michel Martelly, the elections had Moïse securing more than 50 percent of the vote, winning in the first round. Read More
Preliminary Observations of the Coalition regarding the organization and the holding of the November 20, 2016 Elections:
On November 20 2016, the presidential and partial legislative elections were held in the national territory.
The Coalition of Electoral Observation composed of the following organizations observed the process leading up to the aforementioned election:
Before presenting its detailed report regarding the electoral process and election day, the Coalition wishes to share its first observations and impressions to all those interested in the issue. Read More
From the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR)
Haiti Election Primer, Part 5: The International Community
Ever since the first democratic elections in 1990, the influence of foreign actors over Haiti’s political process has only increased. Foreign donors have financed Haitian elections, UN troops have transported ballots and guarded polling stations, international observers have granted (or withheld) legitimacy to electoral outcomes, and foreign embassies have intervened when postelectoral crises erupt.
Read MoreFrom the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR):
Haiti Election Primer, Part 4: Hurricane Matthew
The devastating passage of hurricane Matthew has changed the dynamics of the upcoming election in Haiti. Following last year’s fraudulent elections, the new electoral council has been making changes in order to produce a more legitimate outcome this year, but the hurricane has raised new concerns. Read More
Church World Service partner Aba System Restavek (ASR) organized a debate on Nov. 16 between children and the candidates for the Senate and Presidency. The aim of the event was to encourage all candidates to sign up to a commitment to addressing children’s issues. Unfortunately, none of the candidates turned up and the event was cancelled. Read More
This is Part III of an Elections series from the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR).
Haiti Election Primer, Part 3: The Parliament
Read Part 1: Timeline of Key Events, here.
Read Part 2: Presidential Candidates and Their Parties, here.
Often lost in the discussion of Haiti’s presidential race is the fact that many legislative seats are up for grabs as well, including more than half of the Senate. Read More
From colleagues at the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR)
Haiti Elections Primer, Part 2: Presidential Candidates and Their Parties
Read Part 1: Timeline of Key Events, here.
In a crowded field of 54 presidential candidates, the top two finishers in last year’s elections were Jovenel Moïse (PHTK) and Jude Celestin (LAPEH). Read More
From our colleagues at Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR):
Haiti Election Primer, Part 1: Timeline of Key Events
Less than a week from now, on November 20, Haiti heads to the polls to choose a new president as well as dozens of legislative seats. The electoral process started in 2015 but has been repeatedly delayed and postponed due to post-election protests, candidates’ boycotts, and more recently Hurricane Matthew. Read More