International Mission for Monitoring
Haitian Elections Deploys Observers

Port-au-Prince, Monday, February 6, 2006 – Since their arrival in Haiti on Thursday, February 2, 127 short-term observers from the International Mission for Monitoring Haitian Elections (IMMHE) have been deployed throughout the 10 departments to cover tomorrow’s presidential and legislative elections. IMMHE is the largest international observer group. It has deployed short-term observers throughout the country to join the 20 long-term observers present in Haiti since last September.

These short-term observers from Canada, CARICOM countries, French-speaking nations and Japan have received an intensive one-day training session covering all aspects of their mission in the field, including guidelines on evaluating electoral procedures and the first round of elections.

According to Claude Parent, IMMHE Director, "The IMMHE has been in Haiti since last August. We have had up to now the support of a great team of experts and long-term observers, who have allowed us to put everything in place in order to fulfill our mandate. With the arrival and deployment of short-term observers, we are entering a crucial phase in the observation and monitoring of the electoral process." 

The IMMHE is deploying its short-term observers in consultation with IFES in order to ensure maximum coverage throughout the country. IMMHE observers will visit multiple polling centres in order to monitor the opening of polling stations, the voting process, ballot counting and tabulation, and the transmission of preliminary results. IMMHE observers are totally neutral and do not intervene in the electoral process. 

The IMMHE is led by a Steering Committee made up of independent electoral management bodies from eight countries:

• Mr. Jean-Pierre Kingsley (Canada), Chair
• Mr. Danville Walker (Jamaica), Vice-Chair
• Mr. Torquato Jardim (Brazil)
• Mr. Juan Ignacio García Rodríguez (Chile)
• Mr. Paul DeGregorio (United States)
• Mr. Manuel Carrillo (Mexico)
• Mr. Eduardo Valdés (Panama)
• Mr. Luis Eladio Arias Nunez (Dominican Republic)

The Steering Committee is currently in Port-au-Prince to review expert assessments, reports from long-term observers and the report of short-term observers on the preparations leading up to election day. The Steering Committee will release a preliminary report within three days of the February 7 elections and a final report soon thereafter.

The mandate of the IMMHE is to observe and monitor the entire process of presidential, legislative and municipal elections.

For more information, please contact:

Jasmine Vendredi
Press Officer – (509) 414-4778

Robert B. Lussier
International Media Relations Advisor – (509) 455-0826