On
Fri. Oct. 2, Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) member
Néhémy Joseph
submitted
resignation letters
to both President Martelly and his colleagues at the
CEP, in a fresh blow to Haiti’s electoral process.
Dogged by criticisms over the
fraud and
violence-plagued legislative elections
on Aug. 9, the CEP has suffered from a crisis of
confidence as many political parties and civil society
groups continue to demand the resignation of its
president, Pierre Louis Opont and other changes before
presidential elections Oct. 25.
Joseph told president Martelly that he was “not
comfortable” staying at the CEP any longer. In his
letter to the CEP, Joseph cited his unsuccessful
attempts to persuade his colleagues to correct what he
perceived as errors and the public criticism of the
institution as reasons for his departure. Joseph also
singled out the United Nations Development Program’s
control over the electoral budget as a factor impeding
the work of the CEP.
"Today, I am increasingly convinced that
completing my mandate would involve me in illegality. (I
feel that my credibility will end up melting away like
an ice block if I do not leave.) Indeed, the various
unsuccessful efforts I made to persuade some of my
colleagues to reconsider certain decisions made in error
are, among others, factors that have deepened my
concerns ... It is natural to make mistakes, but to
persevere in error even while recognizing it as such can
prove to be pathological," Joseph wrote. Nevertheless,
Joseph concluded by stating that he hopes the electoral
process will continue smoothly.
Political insiders had expected the announcement
for at least a few days. Joseph is “someone not willing
to go down in a sinking boat at whatever the cost,” one
political adviser close to president Martelly said,
requesting anonymity. The adviser expected the election
to proceed as scheduled, though acknowledged he was less
sure than prior to the resignation. The decision raises
the prospect of other councilors following Joseph out
the door, which could put the continuation of the
electoral process in jeopardy.
The CEP and the Martelly government insist that
elections will go ahead as planned. "This will not
affect the work of the CEP," fellow council member
Ricardo Augustin
told the Haitian press
in response to Joseph’s resignation. Jean Renel Sanon, a
representative of the National Palace
said that the
government would be in communication with the
Peasant/Vodou sector, which had nominated Joseph to the
post, to find a replacement as soon as possible. The
electoral decree passed in March stipulates that the CEP
can continue to function so long as a quorum of five
members is achieved.
A grouping of opposition political parties,
politicians and movements, which are advocating for a
cancellation of what they call the "electoral farce" of
Aug. 9,
applauded Joseph’s resignation.
Some members of the grouping also demanded an
investigation into allegations of corruption within the
CEP, especially as it concerns the announcement of final
results from first-round election.
Weeks after the electoral schedule had called for
final results to be announced, the CEP
posted them online
on Sun., Sep. 27. Rather than lead to greater clarity
however, the final results only added to the confusion.
In two departments, the Artibonite and Ouest, it was
announced that Senators had won in the first round
despite many areas needing to re-run first round
elections because of irregularities on election day. In
contrast, in the other departments, the CEP did not
publish Senate results pending the outcome of reruns. In
Washington D.C. for an event in Congress, CEP member
Yolette Mengual defended the final results and said the
decisions on Senators winning in the first round was a
court decision and not that of the CEP. Mengual was a
member of the electoral court which ruled on the Senate
race in the Artibonite.
Joseph’s resignation comes just days after
evidence of internal rifts in the CEP surfaced. While in
public the CEP has maintained a united front, an
anonymous CEP official
told
Le Nouvelliste
that there were in fact two main camps in the electoral
council, one of which generally sides with those close
to the government. He told the newspaper that he was
considering submitting his resignation, due to the harm
the CEP’s decisions were having on his public
reputation. "I stayed because of the issues. I did not
want to play into the hands of those who want a
transitional government. But the way things function
with council members clearly serving those in power and
other interests, it is hard to guarantee credible
elections and credible results," the CEP member told
Le Nouvelliste.
Several of the CEP’s decisions did not respect
the law or have sufficient evidence to be made, such as
the exclusion of presidential candidate Jacky Lumarque
and Senatorial candidate Arnel Belizaire, the anonymous
council member said. Regarding the announced final
results, he explained to the paper, "yes, there was
influence-peddling, bargaining."
Members of the business sector have come out in
support of the embattled electoral institution,
including the influential Private Sector Economic Forum,
whose representative, Pierre Louis Opont, is the
president of the CEP. Reginald Boulos, a doctor and
businessman from one of Haiti’s wealthiest families,
defended the CEP in an
interview with
Le Nouvelliste,
claiming it was "one of the best CEPs we have had." "The
CEP is not perfect but it is a CEP that has done its
best, perhaps, that has made many mistakes and has
acknowledged its mistakes," Boulos told the paper. "I
heard the president of the CEP say that the Council will
make corrections. We should trust that he will make
corrections." Boulos
was the head of the presidential advisory commission
which led to the resignation of former Prime Minister
Laurent Lamothe in late 2014 and later the formation of
the current CEP.
In addition to the violence that significantly
disrupted the vote on Aug. 9, electoral councilors
themselves have faced physical attacks. Just last week
Vijonet Demero, another CEP member, had
his house attacked by gunmen,
though no injuries were reported. A month before the
election, Wilkenson Bazile, an employee of the CEP who
had been working with the human rights sector
representative, Jaccéus Joseph, was
shot and killed.
The
above article is also
posted on the Haiti Elections
Blog, which was created to help promote the
free access to information and accountability within the
electoral process. The blog is co-managed by several
non-governmental organizations who work with and within
Haiti.
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