Declaration
of Jean-Pierre Kingsley, Chair of the International Mission for
Monitoring Haitian Elections (IMMHE), on the Elections of February 7, 2006
The Haitian people have clearly and freely expressed their desire
to build a future of democracy.
The International Mission for Monitoring Haitian Elections (IMMHE)
congratulates and pays tribute to the Haitian people, who turned
out in force to vote in the first round of the presidential and
legislative elections. Haitian voters have shown courage and determination,
and this is worthy of our admiration. The respect shown by political
stakeholders for the process holds promise for future developments.
Our Mission would like to recognize the professional conduct
of election workers on election day, in particular during the vote
and the ballot count. Their perseverance was a key factor in the
election. We would especially like to congratulate the Executive
Director of the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP), Mr. Jacques
Bernard. Since his appointment last October, Mr. Bernard has
provided the momentum needed to prepare the elections and has coordinated
the contributions of all stakeholders, including the Organization
of American States (OAS) and the United Nations Stabilization Mission
in Haiti (MINUSTAH).
Founded in June 2005, our Mission is led by a Steering Committee,
of which I am the chair. It is composed of representatives of the
independent electoral commissions of eight countries, including
Brazil, Canada, Chile, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Mexico,
Panama and the United States. We have ensured a presence on the
ground since last August through long-term observers deployed in
pairs in each of Haiti’s departments. In addition, 127 short-term
observers have covered the entire territory since February 4,
to observe the vote.
Our Mission’s observations also rely on expert analysis,
which enables us to provide a comprehensive assessment of the electoral
process. A description of the analysis criteria can be found on
the Mission’s Web site (www.mieeh-immhe.ca).
Our Mission’s approach is one of accompaniment. To this
end, we established close ties with the CEP, in particular with
its Executive Director, Mr. Bernard, over and above our observation
work, and have shared our observations and analyses on an ongoing
basis.
This declaration reports what we have noted to date. It
is important to emphasize that the process is not over. We are
continuing our observation work, notably with the compilation of
results, which has been delayed because of the amount of time it
is taking to count the votes and to transmit the polling stations’ minutes.
We will also follow the complaints process and dispute resolution
procedures at the level of the departmental electoral dispute offices,
as well asthe appeals process, which will be conducted by the CEP.
The work our Mission has accomplished since last August has given
us insight into the difficult conditions under which the elections
were being organized and has allowed us to identify problems encountered
on election day. Many polling stations opened with significant
delays, resulting in lengthy lineups. The process was marred by
communication problems and late delivery of election materials.
Furthermore, there was confusion among some electors as to where
they were supposed to vote. Electors also had problems locating
their polling stations (lack of signage, confined areas, difficulties
moving through crowds) and were not given sufficient information
on voting procedures. Finally, the polling booths need to be redesigned
to ensure the secrecy of the vote.
Overall, the election proceeded in a calm and orderly fashion
thanks to the patience of the Haitian people and of the election
workers, who overcame the challenges encountered.
Our Mission deplores some isolated incidents, in particular the
destruction of ballots, which is a fundamentally anti-democratic
gesture. That being said, we would like to emphasize the general
absence of intimidation and violence at polling centres. In terms
of security, we would especially like to acknowledge the work of
MINUSTAH, the Haitian National Police (PNH) and electoral security
agents.
We hope that the CEP will build on the experience it has acquired
in the past months, as well as on election day, to prepare the
next elections by adjusting the process and making the necessary
corrections before the next round, to be held on March 19,
2006. In this regard, we will publish a progress report in the
coming days that will include recommendations to improve the electoral
process.
The Haitian people have taken an important step toward democracy.
For more information on the IMMHE, go to www.mieeh-immhe.ca or
contact:
Jasmine Vendredi
Press Attaché – (509) 414-4778
Robert B. Lussier
Advisor, International Media Relations – (509)
455-0826
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