6 December, 2010 — Haitian Priorities Project – Project 2000 International

THE POPULAR VOTE WAS STOLEN BY PRESIDENT PREVAL, MINUSTHA,CARICOM, OAS AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE

HAITIAN PRIORITIES PROJECT (HPP) takes this opportunity to thank all of its partners and contributors who consistently helped with financing in order achieve a careful and precise pre-election poll conducted in record time void of any interference from donors.

Success was achieved despite the difficulties encountered in Haiti to produce reports in a timely manner. With the information provided to us by the people and our workers, and their respect for democratic principles in relaying and analyzing the facts as the people reported, our survey is by far the closest to the reality of the so-called elections on November 28, 2010.

To our beloved people, we send our applause and eternal gratitude for having once again demonstrated peace, serenity and political savyness in the face of adversity. Your show of ingenuity and resilience against this undemocratic election process gave a lesson in democracy to the CEP, the government of Haiti, and the international community. The spirit of Toussaint Louverture still lives on by the strength and willingness of the people to fight for a just cause. For that, there is still hope for democracy to grow on the land of Dessalines and the heroes of our independence. This past week has been a testament to the true will and might of the Haitian people.

Indeed the people of Haiti were ready with their red cards in hand on November 28, 2010 to sanction the Preval/Bellerive government for incompetence and lack of candor in handling the affairs of Haiti.

HAITIAN PRIORITIES PROJECT simultaneously deplores the attacks of November 28, 2010 against election workers, politicians, Casecs, Asecs and the general public.

We condemn acts of violence by militants of the Preval regime and soldiers, against the people, trying to force them to vote in elections without complying with democratic norms.

We say “shame” to those who have tried by flawed polls to influence the election results on behalf of wealthy patrons who completely ignore the welfare of our nation.

Shame also to the security forces national and international operating in the country, OAS, UN, CARICOM.

These individuals who are supposed to be concerned with the safety of the people of Haiti, and the security of its streets proved unable to, despite the people’s willingness to adhere to peaceful norms. Once again, Minustha has shown its incompetence in dealing with the affairs of Haiti and its willingness to side with the status quo to the detriment of the Haitian population for the benefit of the enemies of democracy.

Key points to consider for the call of an annulment of the November 28, 2010 Elections:

HPP has found evidence of abuse by the electoral commission in favor of Inite’s candidates. Corpuscles belonging to the President of the Republic’s inner circle received excessive and inappropriate support through the use of funds made available and access to materials belonging to the state. They have exerted violence against elected officials and the public. These abuses have been demonstrated by the Representative of Inite in the first district in Port-Au-Prince against, Mrs. Betty Marcellus of the party Vwazinaj. In Aquin, Representative Bourjolly used tear gas against supporters of Calixte Bosse, and they have been the subject of death threats. Heavily armed individuals have closed, stuffed and ransacked many polling stations, just to name a few of the cases.

20% of the people qualified to vote were not in possession of their electoral cards

The electoral register was totally incomplete leaving the majority of the people with their electoral cards to vote–unable to do so

Massive government interference: early in the morning police pickups served as public transportations to take people to polling places, and pay them to vote on behalf of Jude Celestin

The general electoral roll and electoral partial list should be ready for 60 days and 30 days respectively before the election, even on the day of the election, the list was totally in disarray.

Disproportionate financing of the behalf of the Preval/Bellerive government candidates with possible infusion of dirty money in the electoral process

Massive ballot stuffing and interference on the part of the incumbent candidate Jude Celestin

The National police, CNE were used before and during the day of vote to intimidate, pay and to work on behalf of Jude Celestin

The program Cash for Work was transformed into cash for vote under the watchful eyes of the international community
12 of the 19 Presidential candidates have called for the annulment of the elections of November 28, 2010 and the call is growing

The office of National Identification Cards have withheld and unable to issue cards to almost a million people who are qualified to vote

Government officials publicly campaigned, paid to influence the vote on behalf of Jude Celestin both before and during the day of the election

The exclusion of Fanmi Lavalas

These abuses occurred in several regions of the country. Although important in terms of elections and democratic principles, the aggregate number of violations from these irregularities is decisive and has a great impact on the electoral process to the slimmest extent.

Serious irregularities have occurred, and attempts to manipulate voting results are evident. There are major procedural violations. A number of election workers have been involved willingly or forced into acts of fraud. These irregularities also reflect a lack of control over the production of official documents including the accreditation of observers and the documents relating to official travel, which have been used to fraudulently claim the right to vote.

PPH does not in any way prejudge the prerogative given to CEP in making their own decisions, however, the facts at issue, are to submit its analysis in order to inform the public and to provide candidates and political parties an independent and objective evaluation of the process. The CEP have shown its incompetence in having fair, impartial and democratic elections
HPP requests that all concerned remain calm and ensure that their apprehension of the elections is based solely on a neutral and rigorous analysis of electoral facts. With the majority of the presidential candidates calling for the annulment of the November 28, 2010 elections, the CEP, the President and the international community should in no way validate these elections. Such actions will prove irresponsible and will to send Haiti into chaos.

The election held on November 28, 2010 should be annulled and new elections should be held in accordance with ARTICLE 149 of the constitution: Should the office of the President of the Republic become vacant for any reason, the President of the Supreme Court of the Republic, or in his absence, the Vice President of that Court, or in his absence, the judge with the highest seniority and so on by order of seniority, shall be invested temporarily with the duties of the President of the Republic by the National Assembly duly convened by the Prime Minister- The election of a new President for a new five (5) year term shall be held at least forty-five (45) and no more than ninety (90) days after the vacancy occurs, pursuant to the Constitution and the Electoral Law.

Any change should be made in the spirit of the law and the constitution.

However, offices or polling centers that display higher participation rates than others in their areas deserve further attention. Moreover, if the results of these offices heavily favor one candidate, this could indicate an attempt to manipulate the result of the elections through ballot stuffing or fraudulent votes made in the absence of witnesses or observers.

HPP lead its election observation in accordance with the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation and Code of Conduct adopted by the United Nations in 2005. These principles should have been utilized uniformly to abate and nullify this farce election of November 28, 2010.

MAY GOD BLESS HAITI, MAY THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE PREVAIL

VOX POPULI, VOX DEI

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