The United States has expressed reservations about Haiti holding elections in a timely manner and urged all stakeholders in the country to put aside their differences to ensure the future socio-economic development of the country.
“Most of us are familiar with the proverb, “Many hands make light work.” As we consider how Haiti’s splintered political environment has paralyzed the country and threatened the well-being of average citizens, these words seem apt. A shared effort is urgently required,” said Julie J. Chung, the Assistant Secretary of the Office of Western Hemisphere Affairs in a recorded video on United States electoral engagement in Haiti, the American perspective on a democratic and prosperous Haiti and an appeal to stakeholders in the Haitian diaspora.
“Political and civil society leaders must bridge their divisions to accomplish the higher goal of restoring democracy and stability. The more Haitian leaders from diverse sectors of society participate, the easier this task will be,” she said in the message that coincided with Haitian Heritage Month and the 218th anniversary of the creation of the Flag of Haiti on Tuesday.
Chung said every few years, the world anxiously waits to see whether Haiti can overcome its internal divisions to schedule, organize and hold timely elections that lead to a transition of power between one democratically-elected leader and another democratically-elected leader.
“It should not be this way. In a representative democracy, the people, the people, possess the right to select the leaders who will legislate and govern on their behalf.”
She said that this proposition only works if the people can do so on a regularly recurring basis.
“In this way, electoral democracy forms the foundation of a stable and prosperous state. Countries around the world, and countries throughout Latin America and the Caribbean – countries dealing with security and infrastructure challenges – regularly succeed in doing this despite the problems they face.
“Countries with serious political divisions overcome their differences to do this and Haiti can also. Haiti’s history makes it a beacon of freedom and its democracy should not be an exception; it should be an example,” the US official said.
She said that legislative elections that should have been held in 2019 are long overdue, asking what has been the result of this delay.
“An unchecked executive power since January 2020, as the lower house no longer exists, and there are too few Senators to reach a quorum. There is no separation of powers and no way for the branches of government to hold one another accountable. This situation calls into question the core precepts of Haiti’s democracy.
“More than that, this period of one-man rule by decree has already led to the announcement of a problematic national intelligence agency, the introduction of dubious definitions of terrorism, the reduced role of key institutions like the Superior Court of Auditors and Administrative Disputes, and the removal and replacement of three Supreme Court judges.”
The US official said that the decision to hold a referendum to amend the constitution of 1987 further adds to the controversy, especially without an inclusive and credible consultative process that fully incorporates civil society.
Chung said Washington believes legislative elections are the democratic way to end Haiti’s prolonged rule by decree, and presidential elections are necessary to transfer power peacefully from one democratically-elected leader to another.
The Haitian government has already indicated that the referendum will be held on June 27 and the legislative and presidential elections on September 19 with November 21 set aside for a second ballot.
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