Election Tips - Haiti Observer Blog

Campaign season in Haiti is nearly always tense, with bi-partisan supporters of each party undercutting one other to get their candidate into office. A U.S. Department of Justice observer, who conducts immigration reviews for foreigners seeking refuge in the U.S., views the problem as two-fold.

First, voter-initiated fraud is driven by absence of a civil-service system, in which citizens can serve their communities in different capacities. Such positions are non-political and confer job stability. Not only is there job security, but also assurance of rising to higher levels of responsibility with commensurate pay.

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Throughout the history of Haiti, only a few political parties have had a strong organizational structure. In the 1870s and the 1880s, the Liberal Party and the National Party were the two dominant political parties in Haiti reflecting the social and class division that exists in the country. On one side, you see the Liberals party composed mainly of the wealthier and better-educated mulatto minority in Haiti. On the other hand, the Nationalists Party, made mainly of the lower-and middle-class black majority.

Following the United States occupation (1915-34), the nationalist parties organized around the issue of resistance to foreign occupation. The political parties in Haiti started multiplying during the presidential campaign of 1946. Many candidates were participating, including: Parti Socialiste (PSP), Parti Democrate Unifi (PDU), Mouvement Ouvrier Paysan (MOP) and many more. During the Duvalier reign, most political leaders had been silenced.

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Election night is one of the most important events in a country. Every news show is covering the night, as reporters scatter around and get the facts right. For a reporter, covering the election night is both exciting and intimidating because all eyes and ears will be on you. There's no room for mistakes and you have to be updated as much as possible. Otherwise, you will appear incompetent and no one would want to pay attention to your report. Here is a short guide to help you do your job excellently during the much-awaited election night.

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Politicians are experts at what is called the dodge.

If a debate moderator asks a question on a topic, the candidate starts to answer as if they are going to address it.

They begin with a generality, for instance, 'there are so many problems facing America today'. But then they thwart the question by going off-topic. The viewer doesn't notice the shift between the question asked and the answer given. This occurs because viewers' limited attention spans focus on trying to assess if they like the candidate or not.

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During election season, candidates often challenge each other to a series of debates.

This is a both a risk and a window of opportunity for them. If they succeed, their poll numbers go up, and if they fail, they may lose votes. With so much at stake, it's prudent to prepare for the debate, so as to raise the chances of winning. Here are some guidelines to prepare for one.

When you reach the podium, have written down on your notepad three items you want to emphasize during the debate. When the moderator asks a question, think if one of your items can be inserted as part of the answer.

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