elections...well, sort of

I don't talk much about politics in Haiti on this blog because to be honest, I just don't feel like I have a grasp on what is actually happening. The frightening thing is that I'm not so sure that anyone does.

While I spent the last two weeks running around the USA (NYC to Ithaca to Philly to New Orleans to Houston to MIA), Haiti held a national election to fill 11 senate seats (out of 30 seats total) that have been empty for more than a year. The elections were first scheduled for Fall 2007 but were delayed. Then the last Prime Minister was ousted by the President last spring in order appease those who wanted him to take some form of action in response to the April 2008 "Food Riots." The senate more or less went into suspension while they spent months going through three different nominees to fill the vacant PM spot. Just after the new PM came in, the fall hurricanes hit, further delaying the scheduled elections to this month.

People were pretty skeptical about whether or not the elections would happen this time around. Many people assumed that there would be some major backlash when about a month or two beforehand, the candidates from former president Aristide's party where barred from running due to delayed paper work. Unlike US elections, I didn't see much active campaigning going on until about 3-4 weeks before hand (probably due to the uncertainty about whether or not they would even happen). Overnight there were posters with photos of the candidates and their party logos pasted on almost every light post in Port-au-Prince. Several candidates had full-out billboards. As i drove to the airport about 2 weeks before election day, I saw a stream of cars decked out with posters, banners and loudspeakers start their day of campaigning.

Unfortunately the campaigning didn't translate into voter participation - turnout was estimated around 11% of eligible voters - but that can't really be attributed to voter fatigue. The registration and voting process was chaotic. Public transport was shut down in Port-au-Prince on election day in an attempt to maintain order - but also prevented voters from getting around. My friend A works for a human rights organization and served as an official election monitor. I encourage you to read her excellent account of the experience here. The AP report of election day is here.

My friend A does not see a functioning participatory democracy for Haiti on the near horizon. Neither does the guy who drove me home from the airport last Sunday. When I asked him about how the elections went he just laughed and shook his head. Thinking about the moms and babies in our program - and the total lack of basic government services that could do so much to improve their daily lives - it made me want to cry.

This particular election story is not over yet. None of the candidates won the majority needed to win a seat. Run-offs are needed. To be continued....