USAID Bought 2011 Election for Martelly

In the 2010 general election the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) covertly funded Michel Martelly's presidential bid. The money came when it looked as if Martelly might not get on the second ballot.

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A dozen presidential candidates on voting day claimed ". . . the elections were a fraudulent mess . . .", and said the only way to guarantee a fair outcome was to begin the voting process again. Martelly supporters protested in the streets, claiming electoral fraud and predicting victory for Martelly.

The U.N. Peacekeeping Mission's, Edmond Mulet, assured Martelly, among other candidates, they would be on the second ballot, and to stop asking for the election to be cancelled. However days later when Martelly didn't make the second ballot, his supporters protested in the streets again.

The protestors kept up the momentum for several weeks, forcing international election observers to coerce the electoral authority to modify the first round's results so Martelly could stay in the race. The USAID ignored its own rules, which say they can fund political parties across-the-spectrum as long as elections are not bought. But they funneled $100,000 through Mouvement Tet Kale (MTK) a back-door supporter of Martelly.

Martelly finally won in March 2011 on the second ballot. It was through the intervention of MTK that bought Martelly the election. Currently Martelly rules by decree with no Parliament to legislate. But the U.S. continues to support him with ". . . whatever legitimate Haitian government institutions remain."

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Read more: Election, Haiti Election, USAID, Election

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