9:38pm EDT
By Joseph Guyler Delva
PORT-AU-PRINCE (Reuters) – President Rene Preval on Wednesday rejected U.S. Senate proposals for upcoming elections in Haiti and said one of them could even sow “anarchy” in the earthquake-shattered Caribbean country.
Preval, who earlier this week set November 28 as the date for presidential and legislative elections, was responding to a report issued in June by Senator Richard Lugar, the ranking Republican on the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
The report suggested that Preval let Haiti’s international partners help restructure the eight-member Provisional Electoral Council, which has been accused of bias and currying favor with the president.
It also called for arrangements to ensure the participation of factions within an opposition party loyal to exiled former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, which was blocked from participating in 2009 legislative contests because of a dispute over rival candidate lists.
Speaking at a news conference outside the once-ornate national palace, which was severely damaged during Haiti’s January 12 quake, Preval called Lugar’s proposals “unacceptable.”
“I cannot set up an electoral council in consultation with international partners. I do not form an electoral council with international partners. I form the electoral council with national partners,” he said.
He also rejected Lugar’s call for the participation of elements within Aristide’s popular Fanmi Lavalas party in the upcoming elections, saying the party had rightfully been banned from elections last year after rival Lavalas factions submitted competing lists of candidates.
“If we are to strengthen political parties we cannot recognize fractions that exist within them, unless those fractions transform themselves into political parties through the legal channels,” said Preval.
“How can a political party present four or five candidates under the same banner and for the same position,” he asked. “That’s anarchy.”
Preval has repeatedly denied accusations that he handpicked members of the current electoral council and that he was controlling them from behind the scenes.
Haiti’s general elections were originally due to take place on February 28 but were postponed because of the quake that government officials say killed up to 300,000 people and left more than 1.5 million survivors living in crowded camps in and around the capital Port-au-Prince.
In March foreign donors pledged $10 billion over 10 years for rebuilding. Little actual reconstruction work has begun so far, however. More than 1 million people are still living in makeshift tent cities, as the Atlantic hurricane season threatens the impoverished, flood-prone country with another potential natural disaster.
Preval’s successor is scheduled to take office on February 7, 2011, but lawmakers voted recently to allow Preval to remain in office until May 14, if unforeseen problems with the electoral process delay the handover.
The election will cost $29.6 million, of which the Haitian government pledged to provide $7 million. The rest would be provided by international donors.
(Editing by Mohammad Zargham)
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COMMENT: HAITIAN-TRUTH.ORG
Everyone in Haiti knows Preval handpicked this Electoral Council which includes his mistress, Madame Cherubin, plus other Preval intimates.
So we don’t let Senator Luga dictate the selection of a new CEP from outside.
The nation deserves a new, unbiased CEP that is free of Preval’s influence and meddling.
With regard to the Lavalas party, their application was presented to the CEP in time for acceptance. They had a notarized statement from Aristide saying he authorized them to speak on behalf of Lavalas….and then the CEP played a game in which they claimed the paper was not properly witnessed.
This was rubbish. A well known notary flew to South Africa and witnessed Aristide’s signature on the document.
All parties should be allowed participation in the electoral process, but Preval fears this.
It is time for the Internationale Community to insist upon really transparent elections which requires a new CEP.
If the international community and specially the Us Senate and Congress, Canadian Authorities as well really want to help the rebuilding of Haiti, they must claim that everyone, living in exile, can take part in the elections process and run for office at any level to contribute to the process of taking away the corrupted people and all the corrupted politicians who are responsible of the situation in this country, like they did in Ghana, and a result to set up investigations to bring to justice all formers and current officials involved in corruption, and execute them all, without exception.
Ghana is the perfect example to the world. Once someone is found guilty in corruption case, the punishment is execution, no matter what, period.Because, frankly, until they set up the clean up process in that manner, nothing will be done save the assets of the country.Corruption will be always the main for politicians to participate in elections in Haiti.There is no other motivation to them to participate in elections to occupy office. They are all devils and criminals.We need to do something.No one has a plan for Haiti at all. Ask them, what did you do for Haiti since you are involve in politic in Haiti? the answer will be nothing.What did Marc Bazin, Hubert De Ronceray, and co have left for Haiti? Nothing.All Senators, Congressmen and Congresswomen Have a lot of funds in their hands, funds they take from the public funds, Jacques Edouard Alexis, and all the gangsters had accumulated a lot of kond of funds, and so what, they are fighting to keep the power eternally to steal more and more money from the public funds. All those guys must be executed in order to teach a very good lesson to all new politicians and nomminees and prospect elected officials to respect the public funds. As Rene Preval stated 2 years ago:” There is curruption from National Palace, Primature,Parliament, Mayors officces, Ministeries offices, and all over the public office system. So what, because Preval itself is the corner stone of the corruption system in place, no one has been arrested.So what? I think, it is the best time to block and stop them. Otherwise, all the Billions of dollars to rebuild Haiti will be disappered in the air.
Preval, Bellerive, all the ministers, senators and congressmen and women, politician leaders, busissmen, busisswomen, are so currupted that no one is qualified to participate in any process to put in place any real system of public service in Haiti.We need new people, new system.We have good resources in the Us, Canada,to really solve this problem. Do not put more money in their hands to fight back to us at the end.Where our agents, what are really doing down there? It is time to starting to arrest these folks.Period.
June 30 Preval held a news conference at which he stated clearly Lavalas is not to be allowed a place in the November election.
Preval was also asked about the international community’s upset over the Preval-controlled CEP – Electoral Council. Preval’s simple reply was….”Who cares??!!!”
Preval should have nothing to do with controlling the CEP. After all, it is supposed to be independently coordinating an unbiased election.
And now we have Preval promoting his son-in-law Jude Celestin for the presidency.
This website and or blog is presenting the reality as it to all of us. I appreciate the good work on behalf of the humanities.I pray that many people will read your the many good articles and the facts that are presenting in this website. Therefore, God will open many eyes to support, and will help the good work that starts in this precious way. I fully respect your presention and belief. I am very interest in these articles which presented the truth to everyone and to the world. May the Lord richly bless you and the staff. I am a friend of the truth enabling every one to have food and water on their table. I belief in social and economic justice for all without exception, moreover we can have an alternative to freedom and financial stability. I am not a medical doctor,but a doctor in theology and a pastor of a Haitian congregation. keep up doing the god job for humanity.
Sincerely,
Dr. Rivel Dumaine