Politics & Democracy

Haiti just elected a new president, Jovenel Moïse, after over a year of delays and even a rerun of the elections that originally placed Moïse as the front-runner. Unfortunately, and to the concern of many, Moïse was chosen by less than 10% of the electorate with only 20% of voters even participating at all. The complicated reasons for this lack of voter participation have been decades in the making, including consolidation of power on the right; coups against a popular Haitian leader; and interference by the international community. As IJDH Director Brian Concannon describes, much of the weaknesses and limitations on the left “can be explained by the undermining and overthrowing of the Lavalas governments, which prevented them from demonstrating how democracy can work, and the killing, jailing, and exiling of important leaders.” Frustrated with all this, most Haitians cannot picture their […]

A United Nations official has said that the MINUSTAH peacekeeping operation in Haiti is under review, and this might lead to the removal of military peacekeepers from Haiti. The U.N. mission has been heavily criticized since its arrival in Haiti, from issues involving sexual abuse to the introduction of cholera in Haiti. The U.N. Security Council is expected to make its decision in April. Part of the article is posted below. Click HERE for the full article. U.N. considering removing military peacekeepers from Haiti: official Makini Brice, Reuters February 9, 2017 The United Nations is considering removing military personnel from its peacekeeping mission in Haiti, a U.N. official said on Thursday, indicating a possible scaling back of one of the body’s longest-running and widely-criticized missions. The U.N. mission in Haiti, often locally called by its French acronym MINUSTAH, has been in the country since […]

President Jovenel Moise was sworn in to office, filling a void left by a delayed electoral process. In his inaugural address, Moise reaffirmed his commitment to economic development and supporting the diaspora community. However, Moise’s ascension to power is accompanied by many inherited long-term challenges facing the country, including the devastating impacts of the recent Hurricane Matthew and the 2010 earthquake, poverty, and decelerating economic growth. The article is shown below in its entirety. Click HERE for the original article. Haiti’s new President sworn in after yearlong political stalemate Dalila-Johari Paul, CNN February 8, 2017 It took almost a year, but Haiti’s new President has finally been sworn in. Jovenel Moise inherits a government still reeling from an electoral crisis that had left the presidency vacant since early 2016 — but during Tuesday’s inauguration he vowed to uplift a nation devastated by earthquakes, poverty and […]

After coming in first place for Haiti’s president the first time around, Jovenel Moïse had to compete for the spot again when the elections were redone due to fraud. The second time around, Moïse apparently came won in the first round by capturing over 50% of the votes. Many questions about his legitimacy remain, however, due to extremely low voter turnout in the election and a continuing money-laundering case against Moïse. If the judge investigating the case does not try to prosecute Moïse, there are questions of whether Moïse will follow in the footsteps of former president Michel Martelly in surrounding himself with affiliates of former dictator Duvalier. Moïse has also indicated his willingness to collaborate with U.S. President Trump, as two businessmen. Part of the article is below. Click HERE for the full text. Haiti Inaugurates a New President Dogged […]

Jovenel Moise made his first Presidential speech at the National Palace after taking the oath of office. To read an excerpt of his speech, click the HERE for the original article. Part of the article is shown below. “We will build a single Haiti for all Haitians” – Jovenel Moise HaitiLibre February 7, 2017 This Tuesday at the National Palace before a crowd of several thousand people, Haitian and foreign political personalities, the 58th President of Haiti, Jovenel Moïse addressed his first speech to the Nation in which he preaches among other things the union between the Haitians for the progress of the country. The President has also pledged to work to ensure that the people of the diaspora who want to return to the country can do it without problems and to work today so that in five years the balance is […]

Haiti’s Unrepresentative Democracy: Disenfranchisement and Disillusionment in the November 20 Elections February 6, 2017 Executive Summary (Résumé Exécutif ici.) (Here’s the full report.) After almost two years of an electoral crisis, Haitian voters returned to the polls on November 20, 2016, for a third time to elect a president, 16 senators and 25 deputies. The presidential election was a long-awaited rerun of the voided, fraudulent October 2015 elections. Procedurally, the November 20 vote was significantly better than the 2015 elections. But despite many improvements in security and electoral administration, Haitians largely stayed away from the polls. Official voter turnout was 21 percent (and as low as 17 percent according to some calculations), a disturbingly low figure that indicates the poor health of Haiti’s democracy today. The November 20 elections faced a number of political, financial and logistical hurdles. The elections […]