Politics & Democracy

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 […]

     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact:  Nicole Phillips, Esq., Staff Attorney, Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti (IJDH), Nicole@ijdh.org, +001 510 715 2855 (in U.S., speaks English and French) Report: Troubling Weaknesses in Electoral System Overshadow Return of Constitutional Rule in Haiti (PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, February 6, 2017) – On the eve of President-elect Jovenel Moïse’s inauguration, a new report by international legal observers argues that Haiti’s democratic institutions are suffering a profound crisis of confidence. Low turnout, voter disenfranchisement and lingering concerns about fraud raise troubling questions about the breadth of the incoming president’s mandate, according to the report, entitled Haiti’s Unrepresentative Democracy: Disenfranchisement and Disillusionment in the November 20 Elections. The report notes that despite many improvements in security and electoral administration over the 2015 elections, the 21 percent voter turnout represents the lowest participation rate for a […]

Brazil has started to withdraw its military contingent from MINUSTAH, the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Haiti. It plans to complete the withdrawal by April 15, 2017. Brazil is the largest contributor to MINUSTAH and had actually extended its participation last year. MINUSTAH emphasizes that this decision was up to Brazil to make. Part of the article is below. Click HERE for the full text. Haiti – Security : Brazil withdraws from Minustah HaitiLibre February 1, 2017 Brazil has begun withdrawing its military contingent from the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) and is considering completing its withdrawal before 15 April. Note that Brazil in Haiti with its 979 peacekeepers is the largest contributor with 40% of the UN Mission. In addition, it is the Lieutenant-General of the Brazilian Army Ajax Porto Pinheiro who commands the military component of […]

Haiti’s long and drawn-out 2015 electoral cycle ended on January 29, 2017, with municipal elections and the last round of legislative run-offs. Balloting was reported to be mostly calm across the country, and a strong police force and U.N. officers were deployed to oversee the peaceful process. However, voter turnout was especially low in parts of the country, where some urge their fellow Haitians: “We should make our voices heard.” Part of the article is shown below. Click HERE for the full article. Haiti Holds Final Round of Election Cycle Started in 2015 David McFadden, Associated Press January 29, 2017 Haiti held a final round of legislative contests as well as long-overdue municipal elections on Sunday, closing a repeatedly derailed electoral cycle that started in 2015. President-elect Jovenel Moise’s political faction and its allies are hoping to increase their majority in Parliament with eight legislative […]