HAITI IS STILL WAITING FOR DEMOCRACY – A POST GRADUATE COURSE IN CORRUPTION!!

August 4, 2015

With Duvalier’s  departure, in February, 1986 Haitians were promised Democracy, even though most could not spell the word. One week after the Duvalier’s  flight, people were marching in Champs de Mars chanting… “We have had Democracy for a week. Where is the food? Where are the jobs??”

No comprehension of what Democracy meant. Therefore no comprehension of what they have been cheated out of since February, 1986

They are still waiting for Democracy and elections of August 9, 2015 will disappoint the masses, yet again.

As we shall see, history tends to repeat itself.

We hear a lot about democratic, free-and-fair elections, as though these will magically cure a Nation’s problem.

Not so.

And, Haiti has yet to experience a truly free-and-fair election. Most have been contrived or have seen totally unacceptable criminal results accepted.

Elections were scheduled, after the departure of Jean Claude Duvalier. Much has been said, that leads everyone to believe that violence, on the morning of November 29, 1987  was the only reason for cancellation of the vote.

This is not so.

There was a nationwide malaise and ongoing refusal of Haiti’s military leadership to cooperate with the CEP.

And, on the Thursday, before the 1987 Sunday vote, elections in 60% of Haiti had been cancelled because USAID had grossly underestimated  overwhelming logistical challenges of delivering election material, in a country without any transportation infrastructure.

On Sunday August 9, 2015 we will see the same miscalculation of the logistical challenges involved.

Investigations showed that many of the ballot boxes were pre-stuffed with Gerard Gourgue ballots. One voting place, which recorded 9 voters, before the election was cancelled, found 287 Gourgue ballots in the box when opened.

Gourgue was the choice of Aristide’s Liberation Theology. Gerard Pierre Charles, Aristide’s right-hand-man was Gourgue’s brother in law.

And so, with Namphy/Avril/Truillot filling the Presidency Haiti stumbled along towards the 1990 ballot. This time Aristide would be the challenger, against   America’s choice,  Marc Bazin, the Parisian gigolo and ball-room dancer.

Aristide’s obvious moves to control the CEP saw positive action to block the crime. The 1990 General Elections in Haiti, published by America’s National Democratic Institute (page 52) stated:   “…there was public expectation that the Supreme Court, in the next day or two, would declare the CEP illegal.

Magically, a bomb went off at an Aristide rally on  December 5, killing and horribly maiming dozens. This generated a wave of sympathy for Aristide. The court never acted.  In 1998 Patrick Norzeus, an Aristide associate,  confessed to setting the bomb.

December 16 saw the election launched at 7:00 A.M.

At 11 A.M an illegal FM transmitter, in French embassy grounds, announced Aristide’s victory, as Evans Paul put the Mob on the streets, effectively ending the election.

Jimmy Carter, and Robert McNamara were shocked and held a press conference at the El Rancho. They suggested a re-run.  Evans Paul threatened them with physical violence and this pair fled the country, with the speed of light.

Aristide was given 67% of the 300,000 votes cast, even though he was declared winner before 0.01% of the votes were counted. Some boxes were never opened and were found in 1994.

Everyone was afraid for their lives.

https://www.haitian-truth.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/72_1007_post_electoral_violence_in_kenya.jpg

A true example of Democracy in Action.

Aristide made the CEP chairman, Robert Sabala,  Minister of Foreign Affairs. Other members received lucrative positions, such as head of a bank.

There is a message here.

During the 8.5 months he held Haiti’s Presidency, Aristide closed most ministries, for reorganization. He never re-opened them.

27 people were necklaced in Port-au-Prince, including two blind musicians. Violence stalked everyone. Finally the people had enough and Aristide went into exile.

Like squeezing a boil – it finally pops. So it was with Aristide. He created such an atmosphere of fear and violence that the Nation rejected him. Even the majority of Aristide’s own parliament, voted in support of his removal.

Article 149 of the Constitution sees a Supreme Court justice as Provisional President, with election held within 45-90 days. Justice  Nerette became Provisional  President and elections scheduled for December, only to be blocked by President Bush.

And so, today’s fiasco has its roots in the Bush decision, during the first days of October, 1991. With December, 1991 elections, someone else would have taken over.  Aristide would have been nothing more than a bad memory, instead of today’s ongoing reality.

We wouldn’t have suffered a destructive, illegal 3 year embargo during which   we lost thousands of kids, under the age of 5, each month – to starvation. We wouldn’t have lost our 100,000 assembly industry jobs. Our ecology would be in better shape.

Unfortunately, Aristide would be returned on the points of 23,000 American bayonets October 15, 1994.

Another gift from Democracy.

Aristide then delayed the promised elections, claiming he should have “three more years” to make up for the time he was in exile. This brilliant ploy led to a situation in which a sham vote saw Rene Preval – Aristide’s choice – installed in the Palace.

During this 1995 election, polling stations had something like 400 registered voters each. As   examples of the fiasco one in Port-de-Paix had 5 voters, another one Petionville 0, some had 10 or so. In other words, the voters stayed away from the ballot boxes and the UN “selected” Preval, order to avoid a continued Aristide presidency..

Aristide then ruled through Preval. Preval wouldn’t go to the bathroom without phoning Aristide. On occasion, Preval exploded when his wife referred to herself as “The First Lady.” Preval told her there was only one First Lady and that was Aristide’s wife, Mildred.

Participative Democracy in action.

2000 gave us another chance.

Jean Dominique was assassinated when he refused Aristide’s request. Dominique was also a potential presidential candidate with widespread support. Aristide would accept no opposition. The cynic Preval knew of the plan to murder his very, very close friend Dominique, but said nothing.

Preval was complicit through his silence.

http://www.wehaitians.com/aurevoirdominique.jpg

The 2000 parliamentary vote was held. At 2 P.M. observers making exit polls indicated Aristide/Lavalas were losing   control by a ratio of 3-1. As the Americans say “Aristide went parabolic…”  He and Preval ordered CEP Chairman Manus to validate their fraudulent totals, which gave Lavalas  a landslide victory.

Manus refused, and Aristide sent a team to kill him.

Manus was smuggled out of the country,  and died in Washington exile. Non-Lavalas CEP members went into hiding. The Lavalas remainder declared a Lavalas victory.

So outrageous was Aristide’s behavior that the International Community withdrew its observers, scheduled to oversee the 2000 Presidential Election. But, they still accepted the fraudulent results.

http://wpmedia.news.nationalpost.com/2010/11/haiti1.jpg?w=620&h=465

Following his inbred Democratic Principles, Aristide promised to burn any property rented to the electoral process! With this auspicious start, the Aristide victory was a foregone conclusion. Some suggest no more than 7,000 voted nationwide. Aristide claimed a modest 99% of the total – taking the Presidency for another term.

Not a peep from the defenders of Democracy, the International Community. Aristide knew they would swallow anything. And they did.

Haiti yet again rejected Aristide, with American assistance, sending him into South African exile.

Gerard Latortue was forced upon Haiti, by “Seven Sages” to serve  as a flawed Prime Minister, with MINUSTAH in country,  until more elections could be held to select another President in 2006.

Select becomes the operational word here. None of this free-and-fair garbage.

An Irishman would be impressed with the manipulation involved. It was a run between Preval, Manigat and Baker.  Preval had buses shuttling hundreds of his supporters from voting place, to voting place, following the Irish motto: Vote early, vote often.

Although voting was flawed, beyond belief, with ballots knee-deep in some voting facilities, scattered by disruptive elements, the International Community worked to keep the process in motion, rather than declare a disaster.

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When things looked as though they might force a run-off, Preval’s man, Rene Momplaisir,  put 1000 Chimere into the Montana Hotel, where they ran through the halls, jumped into the swimming pool and ate food.

The Montana was home to many senior MINUSTAH officers.

Momplaisir promised to burn Port-au-Prince unless Preval was declared President. Sounds like Evans Paul in 1990. There was a definite message here,  and MINUSTAH understood.    MINUSTAH, and others decided that  Preval got 51.8% and there would be no run-off.

http://www.dadychery.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Anti_Cholera_UN_protest.jpg

Preval’s term led to another electoral fiasco for the   simple reason that he- Preval –  did not wish to leave Haiti at the end of his term.     Preval was concerned that Jean-Henry Ceant or Henri Baker would arrest him, should one of them gain the Presidency.

There was every reason to arrest Preval for his crimes, especially the one involving a missing $198,000,000 from Petro Caraibe funds.

Preval came up with another convoluted solution.  He would “Win by Losing.”

Preval bought Mirlande Manigat, promising her the Presidency if she would allow him to select her cabinet.

Preval ran friend , and associate in crime, Jude Celestin, as a candidate.

Preval owned the CEP: The plan would see Ceant and Baker knocked out in the first round, leaving Manigat and Celestin to run off. Somehow an outsider, Michel Martelly, was included in the mix with zero change of winning anything.

https://www.haitian-truth.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/amaral_Duclona.jpg3-1-300x174.jpg

Fate would see Celestin’s involvement in the assassination of a French Consul and his efforts to get the killer, Amaral Duclona, safely hidden away in the Dominican Republic. Duclona spilled the beans and is now in a French jail. He gave details of murders he committed for Aristide, Preval and Celestin.

Celestin was forced off the ballot, leaving Mirlande Manigat and Michel Martelly.

The rest is history!

Martelly hired a professional campaign organization and energized his effort. 54% of Haiti’s population is younger than 25. This majority was sick of the “Classe Politique” and voted to place their “Vagabond” in the palace. Martelly won a true landslide victory, with a much higher Martelly percentage than stated.

Probably the first time an actual count underestimated the winner’s vote, in order to avoid embarrassing Madame Manigat too much. Earlier polls showed her and Celestin with 4.5% popularity…at the bottom of the list.

The Martelly presidency started off with support from all sectors. Everyone wanted him to succeed, creating a bridge between the criminal governments of Aristide/Preval and a real democratic government that could follow.

Michel made mistakes, but people saw his heart was with them. Because of this, Martelly was forgiven, where others would have been overthrown.

Forget the greed of his wife Sophia, Mayard-Paul and others around him. Martelly was to be the bridge to a real government that would follow him.

http://www.globalresearch.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/martelly-lamothe.jpg

His choice of Laurent Lamothe as his Prime Minister resulted in a truly  magical partnership between   two old friends, and business associates. During Lamothe’s 31 months,  as Prime Minister, Haiti experienced an accelerating growth that was impressive. Our foreign image was the best ever, as the Martelly/Lamothe team worked together.

Everyone assumed   Lamothe would receive Martelly’s blessing, as the next President.

Not so!

Martelly fired Lamothe, late in 2014, replacing him with.  Evans Paul.    It has been downhill since then. The  Martelly Presidency lost momentum, direction and support.

When Lamothe moved to become a candidate, in the Presidential Elections, Martelly blocked him, stopping provision of a Financial Discharge for Lamothe’s term in office.

Lamothe was left out of the Presidential race, even though  he is the most popular person in Haiti.

How can you allow an election with this flaw??

President Martelly has done what he can to control the CEP. He has maneuvered to have a candidate of his choice selected as President. He even created a new political party – BOUCLIER – made up of various drug-dealers, kidnappers, money launderers and other assorted criminals. We could become a true NARCO STATE, Democratically!!

Martelly has played the game with Preval, but Preval may have stepped away from this engagement, as Michel becomes more erratic, prone to intemperate outbursts.

We are in the final days before the August 9 Parliamentary vote. VERITE, BOUCLIER and PHTK have been campaigning for over a month,  as the others stand on the sidelines, unfunded. Martelly and Preval do not face this problem, having stolen millions, upon millions during their terms in office.

Aristide remains a silent threatening entity, on the  sidelines, watching to see what happens.

Some see an unexpected outcome with the August 9 vote.

Here is their concept.

We will have the election which sees the Senate and Chamber of Deputies installed. They will pick a Prime Minister – possibly Preval – and then rewrite our Constitution, eliminating the Presidency.

Preval – Prime Minister for life?

The vote on Sunday will not be a reflection of anything Democratic. Various elements of the CEP are controlled by individuals, or groups, who do not value Haiti’s best interests.  CEP members have already accepted millions from various groups and individuals.

What goes into the ballot boxes will not reflect the tabulated results.

The vultures are circling, each trying to gain an advantage.

Haitians, and foreigners.

The business community sees Preval as their savior, protecting commercial interests against those of the Nation.

https://www.haitian-truth.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/PREVAL-AND-ARI-copy.jpg

The drug dealers, kidnappers and assorted other criminal elements do not want a government that might act against their selfish interests.

No one is representing the Haitian people,  who are really a massive, silent, hungry, frustrated, disappointed majority.

Martelly promised them Security and an Education for all children.

They trusted Martelly and he has betrayed them.

They would trust Lamothe, but Martelly has rejected him.

They trust no one else, especially the so-called Classe Politique, recognized as a poison to their society.

If the game continues along its present course, and the Silent Majority sees their futures imperiled we could see a violent eruption that rivals anything in Haiti’s history.

The Sunday, August 9 election should/must be cancelled.

Sadly, Martelly, and his team have lost what credibility it possessed. President Martelly had great potential to do substantial things and has now wasted this.

Under ideal circumstances, Martelly should step down, replaced by an Interim Government, charged specifically – as was the Truillot government, with carrying out an immediate General Election.

A new CEP and Electoral Law must be created.

Those refused a place on the ballot must be included.

The people, Haiti’s massive majority, must be given a true opportunity to select candidates of their choice, even if the Americans, and the International Community don’t like them.

After all, that is what Democracy is all about.

It is time to give Haiti a really free-and-fair Democratic election. They have been waiting for this since Duvalier’s departure.

http://i1.wp.com/sfbayview.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Down-w-sham-election-made-in-USA-MINUSTAH-out-of-Haiti-Haitians-protest-UN-121010.jpg

MICHAEL COLLINS

Portland, Oregon

August 4, 2015

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4 thoughts on “HAITI IS STILL WAITING FOR DEMOCRACY – A POST GRADUATE COURSE IN CORRUPTION!!

  1. I was with the embassy in 1987.

    It wasn’t the military that started things. You are very well informed about Haitian realities so you must know the base story.

    In something like June, 1987, the FAdH wa pressing the CEP for creation of an Electoral Law. The CEP kept delaying, delaying. So Colonel Regala, a member of the CNG – Government of National Consensus, had one written. This upset the CEP to no end. The CEP promised to accept not son much as a pencil, from the CNG.

    So, when the crap his the fan, and the CEP asked for help, the FAdH remained detached.

    The “fix was in” the night before the vote. Aristides’s fellow priests planned to urge a Gourgue vote, as midnight mass. So, before Mass, the military drove around, shooting in the air, to keep churchgoers home.

    Both side to blame.

    And the Americans most of all since they had a naive concept of challenges faced, and still do.

  2. August 5, 2012 11:00 PM

    It is a situation that mirrors 2000.

    Martelly doesn’t care if people vote.

    He already has the results created.

    And, as a side issue, his group possesses a large list of dead people, and a list of those who did not renew their registrations. With a push of a button these phantom voters can change the day.

    The International Community – especially the Americans – will be responsible for the disaster that we expect to occur Sunday.

  3. It is not as thou we were not warned.

    The August 9 election was just a continuation o failure as it fits in with all that has gone before.

    More Democracy beneath Jean Claude Duvalier than now.

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