Election - Haiti Observer Blog

What is wrong with this picture. First lady Sophia Martelly performing her civic duty by voting on August 9, 2015 in the election for Senators and Deputee with her husband, President Michel Martelly.

This election could have been even more important for first Lady Sophia Martelly. She was actually a candidate for the senatorial seat in the west but was disqualified for citizenship issue. Authorities at the CEP found that the first lady was not a Haitian citizen and as a consequence couldn't run as a candidate in this election.

I would think if you are a non-citizen, you couldn't run for a seat or vote in the election. Obviously, this is not the case in Haiti

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At 5:05 PM, All Voting Centers are closed and the August 9, 2015 Voting day is now over, now the count has started.

Several thousands of Haitians were in the street today in direction of polling stations to vote. It has been over four years since Haitians were able to participate in an election. However, the voting day was plagued by delays, disorder and physical violence

Several polling stations across the country did not open at 6:00 AM as scheduled. The staff had to wait for ballots. In Centers, voters became upset as their name couldn't be found on the official voting lists.

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It has been reported that many Haitian voters in the August 8 election are committing fraud by voting multiple time for their candidate.

This incident has been reported at Lycée Henry Christophe of Carrefour and other voting centers. Some voters, after voting, use water and soap to wash the ink in their finger. They move to the next center and do it again and again. One particular voter proudly admitted to vote 5 times in this election day.

A member of the CEP was confronted with this problem. He declared that the ank is good and doesn't take long to dry.

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According to a prominent member of the CEP, Yolette Mengual, The situation in the region of Grande-Anse is out of control. She directly pointed the finger at the Political Party BOUCLIER who she accused for creating an atmosphere of violence in the region.

Yolette Mengual stated that member of BOUCLIER go to various Voting centers and proceed on stuffing the ballots or taking the urns with them.

She reported that in Jeremie, three Voting centers are closed. In Fond Cochon in Roseau, the Voting Center was closed by the supervisor after members of BOUCLIER came in and took the urn with them. According to Mario Luma, member of the CEP, individuals identified as BOUCLIER went into his home and threatened his family.

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The Presidential election in Haiti is shaping up and we are now able to have a view on the potential winners. The Office of Research in Computer Science and Economic and Social Development (BRIDES) just released the results of a national survey of voting intentions of the Haitian population for the upcoming election that shows Jude Célestin and Moïse Jean-Charles as leading candidates for the presidential seat.

While many candidates are very satisfied with the result of the recent poll conducted by BRIDES, many others had some strong reactions against it as well. at the presidential level, the polling showed that only 15 candidates obtain 1% or more of the vote.

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It seems to me only the candidates who can motivate their base in the upcoming legislative elections in Haiti on August 9 have a real chance of winning in the first round. Another way of saying this, anyone can win this

According to a survey just released by the Observatory of Citizen Action by Public Authorities (OCAPH) just five days ahead of Haiti legislative elections only 15 percent of the people registered to vote will actually do so. Most Haitian voters are taking an " I Don't Care" attitude.

The Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) did launch some sensitization campaigns to get more people interested in voting; However, it has not been so far effective.

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US Congresswoman Maxine Waters is definitely on to something. She recently wrote a letter to the House Ethics Committee and Federal Election Commission to ask them if she can contribute to foreign candidates running for office. Not only she is personally interested, she also wants to know if her affiliated political action can be allowed to do so as well.

This is not something small at all and can have huge implication. Let's just look at the proposal, the environment and possible consequences. Don't forget this is a debate, you are free to voice your opinion as well in the comment section:

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Laurent Lamothe, the former Haitian Prime Minister who was forced to resign from his post amid political standoff in last December, has finally submitted his nomination on Wednesday, May 20, 2015, to run for its presidency under the banner of platform Peyizan. He was accompanied by a few hundred supporters who chanted and cheered as he arrived by a motorcade at the port-au-Prince electoral office. This was a much anticipated and to some extent a surprised move (because of his repeated denial) came less than three hours before the Wednesday registration deadline and a day-long of legal scrambling.

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It seems like the U.S. Agency for International Development was not just an observer in the 2010 Haiti election but rather a major player. According to Al Jazeera, the agency gave close to $100,000 to a Haitian political movement Tét Kale (MTK) which has close ties to President Michel Martelly during the 2010 elections.

Al Jazeera reported that documents obtained through Freedom of Information Act reveal that the U.S. government provided close to $100,000 as support to MTK, through USAID. US law allows USAID to provide support to political groups without discrimination. This funding can not be used to influence election outcomes.

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Electoral Council rules First Lady ineligible to run for Senate Seat

Sophia Martelly, First Lady of Haiti, has failed to become eligible for a bid at a senate seat in Parliament. The Electoral Council has denied her candidacy on the grounds of nationality and administrative clearance issues.

Electoral judges claim the First Lady did not give up her U.S. passport, the final step required before she can run for the senate. She has surrendered her foreign passport, also a legal and constitutional pre-condition, but is a hold-out on turning over her U.S. passport. Born in the U.S., she must become a naturalized citizen of Haiti in order to legitimize her candidacy. Also at issue is lack of clearance from the Administrative Court auditors. As chairwoman of a presidential commission her position has entailed handling public funds drawn from the general fund.

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