PORT-AU-PRINCE — Haitian President René Préval has issued two presidential decrees, each designating Nov. 28 as the official date for Haiti’s presidential and postponed legislative elections.

The decrees are among three Préval has issued in two days, the first mandating Haiti’s nine-member Provisional Electoral Council to plan for presidential elections.

The presidential elections decrees, signed by the president as late as Saturday, will soon be published in Le Moniteur, the official Haitian government register.

Préval’s five-year presidential term ends Feb. 7, but Haiti’s parliament voted to allow him to remain until May 14 — exactly five years after he took office — should his successor not be chosen by the constitutional Feb. 7 date.

The estimated costs of the elections is $44 million.

Most of the money is expected to come from the international community.

President Preval has been visited by a number of foreign representatives. Each gave the same message. “Issue a real Decree setting an election date that is official.”

Once this have been published, the clock is running.

Unfortunately, Preval is refusing pressures to appoint a new CEP.

One wonders how any election, coordinated by the existing CEP, can be free-and-fair, They have the ability to manipulate any and all of the factors involved in the vote.

Preval stole the 2006 election, with the connivance of that CEP, MINUSTAH (especially the Brazilian and Chilean representatives,)  and Rene Momplaisir, leader of the popular organizations (A misnomer if there ever was one.)

They took Prevals 23% of the vote and elevated it to 51% so that a run-off could be avoided…a run-off that would have seen Preval lose to one of the opposition candidates, backed by the others.

This was illegal, unconstitutional, undemocratic….but it was validated by Preval’s sitting CEP.

This type of situation will occur – yet again – in November unless a new CEP is installed.

Preval may have effectively derailed this concept by issuing an Electoral Decree that mandates actions by the existing CEP.  Replacing it might require another Electoral Decree.

No matter what……Preval plans to control/steal the elections so that he can place a puppet in power.

Jude Celestin??

Michele Pierre-Louis???

Beware!!!