Last week the Obama Administration noted a sharp change in policy regarding the treatment of Haitian migrants. Citing a surge in numbers of Haitians traveling from Brazil, through Central America and crossing at the US-Mexico border, ICE began to detain more Haitians after several years of granting exceptions due to humanitarian concerns post-earthquake. Read More
Elections and Democracy
Haiti Elections Report: “Neutrality and Independence Essential for October Elections”
From the National Lawyers Guild, International Association for Democratic Lawyers & The Haiti Support Group:
New Report: Biased international observers failed Haiti in 2015,
neutrality and independence essential for upcoming October elections
(NEW YORK, September 19, 2016) – As Haiti prepares for presidential and legislative elections on October 9, 2016, a new report by voting rights advocates charges that international observation efforts in previous rounds were a “monumental failure.”
US Withdraws Funding for Haiti Elections
Dismayed by the decision to rerun controversial and fraud-plagued presidential elections, the US State Department announced on Thursday a suspension of electoral assistance to Haiti. State Department spokesperson John Kirby said the decision was communicated to Haitian authorities last week, noting that the US “has provided over $30 million in assistance” for elections and that the move would allow the US “to maintain priority assistance” for ongoing projects. Read More
Interview with Marie Frantz Joachim of Sofa and Pierre Esperance of RNDDH
Last month, Jasmine Huggins of Church World Service interviewed Marie Frantz Joachim of Haitian Women’s Solidarity (SOFA) and Pierre Esperance of National Human Rights Defense Network (RNDDH) to discuss the challenges facing women in Haiti and the elections. Below you will find the complete interview conducted in Haitian Creole but with a brief summary of the issues discussed. Read More
Haiti 2016: Challenges and Opportunities
This is an interactive presentation put together by Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) on the opportunities and challenges facing Haiti in 2016. It features perspectives from four civil society leaders (from RNDDH, GARR, MODEP and the Justice in Mining Collective) and touches upon subjects such as migration from the D.R., mining, cholera, elections, and democratic space in Haiti. Read More
Haitian Human Rights Leaders Make the Case for Electoral Verification at Washington Roundtable [Full article]
On Friday, March 4, 2016 representatives from the Organization of American States (OAS) and State Department joined two visiting Haitian human rights leaders and two U.S.-based academics in a discussion on Haiti’s current electoral crisis. Organized by the Haiti Advocacy Working Group (HAWG) and sponsored by Representative Yvette Clarke (D-NY), the discussion focused on the causes of the postponement of the electoral crisis, the selection of Provisional President Jocelerme Privert and efforts to move the electoral process forward. Read More
Haitian Human Rights Leaders Make the Case for Electoral Verification at Washington Roundtable
On Friday, March 4, 2016 representatives from the Organization of American States (OAS) and State Department joined two visiting Haitian human rights leaders and two U.S.-based academics in a discussion on Haiti’s current electoral crisis. Organized by the Haiti Advocacy Working Group (HAWG) and sponsored by Representative Yvette Clarke (D-NY), the discussion focused on the causes of the postponement of the electoral crisis, the selection of Provisional President Jocelerme Privert and efforts to move the electoral process forward. Read More
Haiti elections scheduled for Sunday have been canceled
Haitian elections officials Friday afternoon abruptly canceled Sunday’s planned elections amid escalating protests and violence around the country.
Moments earlier, the officials had halted the distribution of voting materials and began recovery of those that had already gone out.
Elections officials said at a news conference that safety could not be guaranteed for voters or poll workers. Read More
Evaluation Commission’s Ambiguous Report May Only Deepen Haiti’s Electoral Crisis
On Sunday 3 January, the Independent Electoral Evaluation Commission released its report on the 25 October presidential elections. Appointed on 22 December by President Martelly in response to demands for an independent investigation, the Evaluation Commission met over the holidays with electoral council members, government officials, election observers, candidates and other concerned groups, and conducted a verification of 1771 randomly-selected tally sheets. Read More
The Past is Prologue with Haiti’s Elections
Haiti’s presidential runoff is slated for Jan. 17 after being postponed in December. The international community has often stunted Haiti’s democracy.
As Haitians prepared to go to the polls in 2010, 45 members of the U.S. Congress wrote to then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, warning that supporting such a flawed process “will come back to haunt the international community.” Read More