Fusion of Haitian Social Democrats - Haiti Observer Blog

It seems like we are watching the democratization of our political parties in Haiti right before our eyes. So many political parties are now saying that they are going to let their members make the selection as to who will represent their party during the next election. OPL, MOPOD, FUSION, just to name a few stated that they will have Primary election.

Now my question: what about Fanmi Lavalas? Will this political party follow the steps of the other ones and conduct primary as well? This is something very interesting to watch during the next few days or months. Will the Fanmi Lavalas of Jean Bertrand Aristide survive if they decide not to conduct Primary election? Will the party members accept to be under a Dictatorship form of political party or will the demand that the party open to all and that the best candidate will actually be selected to represent them during the next election?

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As I have been told, if you try one time you don't succeed, try again. If you try a second time you don't succeed, you should try a third time. That is the case with the executive branch of government in Haiti and the opposition. The opposition has so far refused to seat down with President Martelly to find a solution to the electoral crisis

The six opposition parties who now seem to have the upper hand as January 12, 2015 approaches wants the discussions to go beyond current election. Levaillant Louis Jeune for INITE, Jean André Victor for MOPOD, Jonas Coffy for Ayisyen pou Ayiti, Rosemond Pradel for Fusion, Dr. Rudolph Prudent for Kontra Pèp La, all want everything to be included in the discussion, including the resignation of Presiden Michel Martelly.

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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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