Haiti Declares Winner of Presidential Election After Delays

Haiti Declares Winner of Presidential Election After Delays

Updated January 6, 2017
Haiti Declares Winner of Presidential Election After Delays
On January 3, 2017, Haiti’s electoral council declared
president. The Obama Administration has said it will
political novice Jovenel Moise the winner of its November
continue to recognize Privert until another official is
2016 presidential elections. Elections had been delayed
named. Violent attacks against candidates, a police station,
repeatedly, leaving Haiti without an elected president for
and businesses have added to concerns over stability.
almost a year. The inauguration will probably be held on
the constitutionally mandated date of February 7.
U.S. Special Coordinator for Haiti Kenneth Merten said in
October that the United States hoped Haiti would hold
Final results show Moise of the Bald Head Party (PHTK,
credible elections so that there would be a “democratically
former President Michel Martelly’s party), an agricultural
elected government from top to bottom to deal with ... on
exporter, won with almost 56% of the vote. Voter turnout
things like recovering from [Hurricane Matthew], and the
was 21%. Jude Célestin received about 20% of the valid
recovery work that still needs to be done” after the
vote; Moise Jean-Charles won 11%; and Maryse Narcysse,
devastating 2010 earthquake.
of former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide’s Fanmi Lavalas
party, garnered 9%. Those three candidates filed
The Obama Administration welcomed the holding of the
complaints; after a formal appeals process, the provisional
November elections and issuance of the results as important
electoral council (CEP) announced final results on January
steps toward returning Haiti to full constitutional rule.
3. Because Moise still has more than 50% of the vote and/or
Troubled Electoral Processes Threaten Stability
25% more than the next candidate, no run-off vote will be
necessary. Run-off elections for some parliamentary and
Haiti has been slowly transitioning from centuries of
local elections will be held on January 29, 2017.
authoritarian rule to a democratic government over the past
30 years. Progress has been made in developing democratic
Contested positions in November included the presidency,
institutions, but—as evident in the electoral delays—these
with 27 candidates; 10 Senate seats, with 116 candidates;
institutions remain weak. During this period, elections have
and some disputed seats in both chambers from earlier
been sources of increased political tensions and instability
in the short term. Haiti’s current electoral problems are
elections. One legislator is sure to cause particular concern
part
for the United States. Guy Philippe, a former coup leader,
of a troubled process extending back for years, due to the
was elected to the Senate for a six-year term. He is wanted
failures of previous governments to hold a series of
by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration for alleged
presidential and legislative elections for prolonged periods.
drug trafficking and money laundering. Philippe is
We congratulate President-elect Jovenel Moïse on his
reportedly allied with president-elect Moise’s PHTK.
first-round victory and look forward to working
closely with him as we strengthen our longstanding
The new president will take over the poorest country in the
partnership with Haiti. We urge all actors to accept
hemisphere, plagued by high political tensions, security
the final results, refrain from violence, and work
concerns, low economic growth, a cholera epidemic, and
together to build a stable and prosperous Haiti.
greatly reduced foreign aid.
U.S. Department of State Spokesperson, January 3, 2017
Prolonged Lack of Elected President
In the long term, elected governments in Haiti have
Haiti has been without an elected president since February
contributed to the gradual strengthening of government
2016. After the Haitian government failed to complete a
capacity and transparency. Still, in the present
cycle of elections, including a second round of presidential
circumstances, the international community has expressed
voting at the end of 2015, former President Michel Martelly
concern that continual delays have hampered the Haitian
ended his term without an elected successor. The legislature
government’s ability to function, decreased the public’s
named Senate President Jocelerme Privert interim
faith in public institutions, exacerbated political
president, to ensure that second-round presidential elections
polarization, and threatened stability.
took place in April 2016 and a new president was installed
in May. Privert established a verification commission to
A key problem has been the lack of a permanent electoral
investigate opposition-party charges of electoral fraud; the
council, which the 1987 Haitian constitution established as
commission called for the first round of the presidential
the body responsible for setting dates for and organizing
election to be re-held. Some international observers
new elections. There has never been a permanent council,
disagreed with the need to re-hold the presidential election
only provisional ones. Nine elements of the Haitian
but acknowledged a potential political need to re-hold the
government and civil society were supposed to propose the
election due to public perceptions of its legitimacy.
council members. Delayed elections contributed to the
problem; without a full government in place, some of those
Meanwhile, Privert’s term expired on June 14, 2016, and
entities were not able to name their nominees, so temporary
the Haitian legislature has repeatedly failed to vote on
councils were formed. The formation of each electoral
extending his mandate or appointing another provisional
council involved political disputes, and each council was
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Haiti Declares Winner of Presidential Election After Delays
inexperienced at running elections. In 2012, constitutional
The government postponed the runoff presidential elections
amendments went into effect that included a streamlined
scheduled for December 27, 2015, just one week before
process for creating a permanent electoral council. Despite
elections were to be held because of the ongoing disputes
that new process, forming an electoral council continues to
and fears of violence. Despite pressure from the
be fraught with political disputes and a key reason why
international community, including the U.N., to transfer
organizing elections in Haiti remains difficult.
power through elections within the constitutional time
frame, it became clear that Haiti would not hold elections
For instance, former President Martelly assumed office for
before the constitutional end of Martelly’s term. The
a five-year term in May 2011 and fired the CEP responsible
Haitian constitution (as amended in 2012) provides for
for organizing new legislative elections in December 2011.
temporary executive powers to complete a president’s term
He did not begin to form a new council until June 2012, six
but does not address the situation in which a president
months after elections for one-third of the Senate should
finishes his or her term but has no elected successor.
have been held under Haitian law. It became difficult for
Martelly and the legislature drew on elements of the
the Senate to meet the quorum needed to conduct business,
constitution to work out an agreement under which the
including naming its representatives to the CEP and passing
legislature elected a provisional president to serve for 120
necessary electoral laws. For the next three years, the
days, during which time the provisional president would
political process progressed in fits and starts and
appoint a prime minister to oversee elections. As mentioned
contributed to heightened political tensions. In January
above, Privert was elected provisional president.
2015, the legislature was dissolved, as most legislators’
terms had expired without elected replacements. Martelly
Following the release of the verification commission’s
began to rule by decree. The same month, the government
report, the CEP canceled a runoff in April 2016 and
established a new CEP—the fifth iteration under Martelly.
scheduled new presidential elections and some legislative
contests for October 9, 2016 instead. That vote was delayed
Dispute over the 2015 Elections
when Hurricane Matthew devastated parts of Haiti on
The Haitian government finally organized elections in
October 3-4. The worst hurricane in a decade left 1.4
2015. First-round legislative elections were held in August;
million people in need of immediate assistance, according
runoff legislative elections and first-round presidential
to the United Nations (U.N.). The United States and other
elections were held simultaneously with municipal elections
donors have responded with aid.
on October 25. Elections featured 54 presidential
candidates, most representing parties organized around
U.S. Elections and Other Assistance
personalities more than platforms. The CEP declared that
The United States contributed $33 million for the electoral
Moïse, the candidate for Martelly’s party, and Célestin,
cycle that began in 2015, assuming three rounds of
who lost to Martelly in 2011, would proceed to a runoff.
elections—a legislative first round, simultaneous legislative
For both the August and the October elections, the United
second round and presidential first round, and presidential
States, the Organization of American States, the European
final round. Rejecting the CEP’s decision to re-hold the
Union, and other international electoral observers found
2015 presidential election, the State Department suspended
that irregularities existed but were not sufficient to
U.S. electoral assistance in July 2015. After Hurricane
invalidate the results. The relatively peaceful first-round
Matthew, however, the U.S. Embassy provided aid to help
presidential elections were followed by sometimes violent
rehabilitate voting centers and roads damaged by the storm
protests over the contest’s validity. A coalition of eight
to facilitate voting. USAID has provided $48 million in
candidates, which included Célestin, alleged fraud,
additional humanitarian assistance since the storm hit.
including by the government.
Much of this aid will focus on preventing the spread of
cholera. The Department of Homeland Security temporarily
Disputes Voiced Outside the Legal Framework
suspended deportations of certain Haitians on a limited
Another key problem that stalls elections is the failure of
basis following the hurricane but resumed the deportations
political actors to use established legal and constitutional
in early November. The Administration’s FY2017 request
procedures to address or resolve disputes. The opposition
for aid to Haiti totals $218 million, a $25 million decrease
has resorted primarily to street protests and demands for
from actual FY2015 assistance to the country.
actions outside the constitutional framework, such as
calling for an independent commission to conduct a
The 114th Congress expressed concern over stalled elections
recount, to address its allegations of electoral fraud. One
in the FY2016 Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 114-
Haitian observer group supported by the U.S. Agency for
113), which required the State Department to withhold all
International Development (USAID) expressed concern that
assistance for the “central government of Haiti” until the
“a group of presidential candidates have refused to take the
Secretary of State certifies that the Haitian government was
path of formal dispute and preferred to ... demand
“taking effective steps” to hold free and fair parliamentary
verification ... by an Independent Commission.” The group
elections, and other steps. The State Department has stated,
called for certain political actors to show “political maturity
however, that it does not provide any direct assistance to
... to avoid the political chaos looming on the horizon.” U.S.
the Haitian government.
Haiti Special Coordinator Merten repeatedly urged
candidates to file complaints and evidence of fraud through
Maureen Taft-Morales, Specialist in Latin American
the existing legal framework. Only two candidates,
Affairs
including Narcysse, did so.
IF10440

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Haiti Declares Winner of Presidential Election After Delays

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