July 7, 1999 - In a five-page briefing paper issued today, the National Coalition for Haitian Rights (NCHR) called on Haiti’s electoral commission to plan for elections in six to eight months rather than the four months initially foreseen. "Free and fair elections are not possible in Haiti today given the ongoing political violence and widespread insecurity in the country," said Jocelyn McCalla, NCHR’s Executive Director. "Elections in November will prove to be a sham and a failure, ending any chance of Haiti coming out of the current crisis with any democratic institutions intact."

Elections have been widely viewed as the answer to a political crisis that is now entering its third year. The crisis evolved from the inability of the Lavalas movement to develop democratic institutions once its leader, President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, returned to power in 1994. After President Aristide handed the presidential reins to Rene Preval, the movement split apart, resulting in factional struggles between former President Aristide and his LaFanmi Lavalas party and former Lavalas members in the Organization for the People in Struggle.

Earlier this year, President Preval decided to close parliament and appoint a government by decree. The extra-constitutional government’s principal task is to lead Haiti to new elections which would restore the parliament and local mayors and other elected officials and return Haiti to constitutional government. In recent weeks however, Haiti has witnessed mounting political insecurity, marked by:

1. waves of violent demonstrations,

2. a recent police extra-judicial execution of eleven persons,

3. attempts to undermine the independence of the Haitian police force, and

4. persistent threats against human rights advocates.