| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Merrie Archer, Director,
Human Rights Programs - 954-462-8231
Haitian Coalition Denounces the
Government of Haiti's
Unilateral Rush to Hold Elections
New York, August 18, 2003 – The
National Coalition for Haitian Rights (NCHR) decries the government of
Haiti's announcement last week that parliamentary and municipal elections
will be held on November 23, 2003, with no provisions made to address
widespread concerns for the electoral process' security and fairness.
"The government's premature launching of the process is in blatant
disregard of the legitimate concerns of human rights groups, journalists,
opposition groups, Haitian civil society and the international community,
who have all incessantly called on the GOH to institute a climate of security
to allow for safe, free and fair elections," stated Dina Paul Parks,
NCHR's Executive Director. To date, the government has done little to
address these fears. "NCHR denounces the government's precipitous
and unilateral decision to hold elections as a dangerous and futile exercise
that will exacerbate the country's political, social and economic crisis,"
Paul Parks added.
Furthermore, the Haitian government's plan to entrust the electoral process
to a CEP, formed in 2001 shortly after President Aristide's inauguration,
is ill advised and in violation of its commitments. "The Haitian
government has clear obligations under the terms of OAS Resolution 822,"
said Merrie Archer, NCHR's Director of Human Rights Programs. "In
addition to the security concerns, a new, independent and credible CEP,
reflecting a cross-section of Haitian society, must be created in order
to organize these elections. Granting an old and contested CEP the power
to run this electoral process is reckless at best and disdainful of the
already weakened democratic institutions at worst; nothing short of a
blueprint for disaster," concluded Archer.
While acknowledging the parliamentary void that will ensue in January
should elections not be held this year, NCHR notes that such void is the
result, for the most part, of the GOH's many missed opportunities to address
the issues surrounding elections and its failure to respect its commitments.
The potential for this constitutional anomaly does not grant the government
a free hand to bully its way through yet another flawed electoral process.
Rather, the government should take steps to ensure a smooth process with
maximum participation.
NCHR advises the Lavalas administration against committing another grave
error by launching an electoral process consigned to failure from the
outset. Instead, NCHR calls on the GOH to:
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Immediately rescind current plans to
hold elections in November, given the impossibility of meeting the
conditions necessary for free, fair and democratic elections in such
a time frame. |
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Immediately redouble its efforts to institute a climate
of security for all by, among other measures, rejecting violence from
all sectors and arresting, prosecuting and punishing all human rights
abusers and other criminals. |
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Engage in serious efforts to create a neutral and
credible CEP, as called for in Resolution 822. This new CEP should
have the power and independence to establish a sensible electoral
calendar, taking into consideration the numerous challenges facing
the country. |
Finally, the government should engage in good faith discussions with a
wide-cross section of Haitian society and the international community
to find a workable formula in order to avert a government run by decree
as of January 2004.
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