ELECTION DAY IRREGULARITIES - SUMMARY

The Haiti Libre website (www.haitilibre.com) had several articles on election day problems. The following is a summary of information retrieved from their articles. You will see that lots of interesting things happened on voting day! I have posted quite a few article and recently received a couple of comments to my postings. They are not written in good english but seem to be veiled threats. This is for the individual making these threats. I am here in Haiti as a missionary and not involved in politics but I will report what I see and read. That is what is good about democracy. And above all, God is in control. Happy reading!
Karen


FRAUD AND IRREGULARITIES:

WEST DEPARTMENT

In the city of Port-au-Prince, several gunshots were heard around the voting centers, causing an atmosphere of panic.

In the town of Ganthier, at the Ecole Nationale de Fonds-Parisiens voting center, representatives of various political parties were pressuring voters to vote for their own candidates. In addition, an representative of platform INITE exhibited the picture of Jude Célestin.

Around 1pm, the police zealously decided to block the election process and to hit all the voters, with sticks. In response, the people threw stones at the police who were forced to fire into the air to disperse the crowd.

At the voting center École Nationale de la Mardette, first communal section, Galette Chambon, connume of Ganthier, an altercation broke out between the representatives of the platform INITE and the parties "Ayiti an Aksyon (AAA)" and "Ansanm Nou Fò",each, in turn, trying to influence voters.

At the voting center École Nationale de Corail, an altercation broke out between representatives of different parties at the scene. The minutes were taken.

At the voting center Berceau des Coupons Kindergarten, located in the town of Carrefour it was 1:40 when gunmen broke into the polling stations and physically assaulted members of these offices. Several election officials were slapped.

Supporters of presidential candidate, Wilson Jeudy under the banner of "Force 2010" took away the ballots from voting center Don Bosco in Cité Soleil and put them in an empty bag of "Tchako" rice.

At polling station #19 of the voting center Sainte Anne, in Cité Soleil, a group of individuals with 9mm weapons, identifying themselves with the platform INITE took out a ballot box and ballots. The ballot box was returned a few minutes later after being stuffed with the ballots.

At Drouillard, in the town of Cite Soleil, the president of polling station #34, Sherline Peserville was savagely beaten by supporters of the platform INITE and "Repon payzan" for refusing to sign a batch of fifty (50) ballots.

Jeantilhomme Marcel, president of polling station #15 located at the voting center Lycée de Cité Soleil was slapped and his clothes were torn because he refused to sign ballots and return them to his attackers.

At Delmas 2, individuals, mostly supporters and sympathizers of the party "Repon payzan," stormed the voting center Building 2004 and wreaked havoc. They looted the ballot boxes, tore ballots and threw them down.

In Petit-Goave, at the voting center Lycée Faustin Soulouque, the voting was interrupted with the introduction of armed groups working for the platform INITE. They threw stones and fired shots into the air. The election officers at the center were forced to take cover. The same thing happened at the voting centers École Sacré-Cœur, École Communautaire de Fort-Liberté and École Nationale of Tapion.

ARTIBONITE

In the commune of Estère, voters frustrated at not having found their names on the electoral voting list stormed the voting center École Nationale Mapou Lagon and tore the ballots and the electoral voting list. The vice president of the polling station #4 was assaulted.

At the voting center École Nationale de l’Estère, supporters of the party "Ayiti an Aksyon (AAA)" and the platform INITE came to blows, following a struggle to influence the vote.

At the voting center École Nationale de Pont Benoit, located in the town of Petite Rivière de l'Artibonite, the counting started at 3:15 in the afternoon. Supporters of INITE, seeing that their candidates were poised to lose; caused a mess and tore ballots.

Also in the commune of Petite Rivière de l'Artibonite, partisans of "Respé" having learned that several voting centers were vandalized, threw stones and broken bottles on the voting center École Nationale de Séguy. They stopped the counting, grabbing and ripping ballots.

At the voting center École Nationale de Maingrette, in Ennery, Julio Jean Baptiste, representative of the party "Ayiti an Aksyon (AAA)" and Preslet Adjocy, representative of group "Alternative", voted several times with the complicity of the staff of this center.

Moreover, supporters and sympathizers of the party "Ayiti an Aksyon (AAA)" were allowed to vote multiple times, even without a national identification card.

At the voting center located at Bon Berger de Saint Michel de l’Attalaye, everything went peacefully until a group of supporters and sympathizers of the parties "Ayiti an Aksyon (AAA)" and " Ansanm Nou Fò" intervened to halt voting center operations. Following this intervention, minutes of the counting are missing.

In the commune of Dessalines, supporters of the platform INITE fired into the air, and threw stones and broken bottles on the voting center École Nationale de Nièl, causing voters to disperse. This incident was recorded after these supporters unsuccessfully tried to buy voters.

At this same voting station, Mackenson Jean, a supporter of the platform INITE voted five (5) times.

In Saint-Marc, at the voting center École Nationale de Séguin, Polyxe Larose, aka Ti Popo, Smith Saint Gilles, aka Dife Limen, Jacky and Viola invaded polling station #13, seized voting materials and fled. On their way, they tore the ballots and destroyed the ballot boxes.

At the voting center Lycée Sténio Vincent, the candidate for the Senate under the banner "Alternative", Anick Joseph, was on the scene and tried to convince voters to vote for "Alternative". There followed a heated argument between representatives of political parties, followed by a group of people entering inside the voting center and removing the voting materials. The ballots were torn by the group and thrown around the city.

In the commune of Verrettes, in the morning, several people broke into polling station #2 of the voting center École Nationale Charles Belair and put pressure on the voting site president to sign and return several ballots to them. The president objected. In response, these individuals tore all the ballots that were received by the polling station.

The same scenario occurred at polling stations #1, #3, #11, #12 and #14. Supervisors and members of the offices had to leave. Several parties were involved in this widespread disorder, "Ayiti an Aksyon (AAA), INITE, RDNP," Alternative","Veye Yo, MODELH-PRDPH. In that voting center, the ount couldn't take place, since all the voting materials were torn and the minutes taken away.

Also in this same commune supporters of the platform party INITE and AAA, RDNP, and RENMEN AYITI entered around 8:30 am, into the voting center École Nationale de Drouet, with the intention to vote several times. They signed the ballots and voted for their candidates. After the voting site closed the counting was to begin. The situation deteriorated with people throwing stones and firing automatic weapons throughout the commune.

At the voting center École Nationale Jacques Premier, located in the town of Dessalines, two (2) representatives of AAA party were hit by bullets. They are: Augustin Michaud, in Cannal, 4th section and Robens, in Priyen, 4th section of Dessalines. They both were taken to the hospital in Deschapelles.

In the town Terre Neuve, at the voting center Eglise Evangélique Mondiale de Zaboka, the assistant supervisor was encouraging the voters to vote in favor of the candidates of his party. The president of polling station #3, allowed voters to vote without their card of identification.

SOUTH-EAST

In the commune of Grand Gosier, ballot boxes were stuffed by members of polling stations, well before voting commenced at the voting center Ecole Evangélique of Grand Gosier.

In the commune of Anse à Pitre, members of the polling station were forced to leave the scene because of gunfire heard in the vicinity. A voter was shot (injuried). Supporters of the platform INITE have been accused as being responsible.

At the voting center Ecole Nationale de Bois d’ormes, voters voted while in the possession of identification cards that did not belong to them.

At the voting center Lycée Pinchinat of Jacmel, an individual(s) armed with broken bottles, stones and sticks entered into the site, vandalizing the polling stations and causing panic. Voters and election workers abandoned the center.

At the voting center Ecole Nationale Saint-Roc de Peredo, the voting took place without incident, until individuals armed with sticks and stones attacked the polling staff and voters. They took the ballots of the presidential candidates.

In the town of Thiotte, Justice of the Peace, John Gousman Ernst, head of the campaign for the platform INITE had, the day of the vote, forced all officers and members of polling stations in the voting center Ministère de l’Agriculture, des Ressources Naturelles et du Développement Rural (MARNDR) to abandon the center. The results were for the candidate of INITE, Jude Celestin.

SOUTH

Two (2) voting centers in Port-a-Piment were burned. These were the Ecole Nationale des Filles and Ecole Presbytérale de Paricot. The voting center Ecole Nationale des Filles was burned down after the closing of the center and the start of vote counting, following accusations against supporters of the platform INITE who controlled the center. They were accused of blocking access to supporters of other political parties.

The voting center of Ecole Presbytérale de Paricot was burned down by supporters of the platform INITE having at their head Mackendy and Raymond Pierre-Louis after they had ransacked the various polling stations which were located at the voting center.

At Macéant in the town of Aquin, a bus carrying supporters and sympathizers of the platform INITE to go vote at the voting center Baptiste, was burned by the public following an armed clash between the public and members of the presidential platform INITE. Two (2) young people have lost their lives. They are: Lens Ciryl, supporter of the platform INITE, under the age of eighteen (18) years who was shot in the head, fired on by members of the platform INITE who took him out as being an individual from the locality. An identification card belonging to Berga Thercilien and two accreditation cards issued to representatives of the platform INITE have been found in the pocket of the victim.

Kenson Hilaire, twenty (20) years, a supporter of the presidential platform INITE was lynched by the population with sticks and stones.

At Camp Perrin, a candidate for deputy Augustin Bertin under the banner of the presidential platform and current mayor of the town, used a truck of Electricity of Haiti (EDH) to transport voters from the town of Dodmique to Camp-Perrin. Arriving at Nava the truck overturned and, Luks Joseph aka Ti Djo died. Several people injured were transported in emergency to the hospitals of Les Cayes and Camp-Perrin.

In the commune of Chantal, at the voting center Ecole Presbytérale de Canon, supporters of "Ayiti an Aksyon (AAA)" and the presidential platform INITE had agreed to stuff the ballot of polling station #3, #4, #5, and #7. During the operation, there followed a heated argument following which, the voting center was vandalized, the ballot boxes destroyed and the ballots scattered on the ground. Saviliome Belgent was arrested by the magistrate of the commune, Dorescar Duquerel as having in possession, a set of ballots with votes for the platform INITE.

CENTRAL

At Boucan Carre, Willot Joseph, at the head of an armed group, very late in the evening of November 27, 2010, created fear among the general population, members of polling centers and supervisors in particular.

In the commune of Savanette, it was 11:45 when gunmen stormed into the voting center Ecole Nationale de la Haye, vandalized the polling stations #5 and #6 from the center, destroyed the voting materials, and tore ballots because their candidate did not seem to be in a good position.

In the voting center Ecole Presbytérale Notre Dame d’Altagrace the same scenario was repeated in polling station #7 and #10.

In Cerca Carvajal, supporters of INITE did some ballot stuffing. Disgruntled supporters of the Solidarité Party candidates fired into the air and threw stones.

At the voting centerLycée Joseph Pierre Sully, former deputy Joseph Willot, senatorial candidate under the banner of UCCADE, outside of the elections because of violence perpetrated in the elections of April 17, 2009, proceeded on November 28, 2010, in parallel with the vote, with a distribution of t-shirts bearing the picture of presidential candidate of the party INITE.

After counting, shots were fired by supporters of the platform INITE, having lost the election in this voting center.

In the second section communal of Hatty, commune of Maïssade, Willot Joseph, a supporter of the Platform INITE, at the head of a heavily armed group, entered into the voting center Ecole Nationale Hatty and fired into the air. Voters and members of offices, panicked, and fled. Voting materials and ballots were destroyed.

The same group went to the voting centers École Communautaire de Lagoune et Ecole Nationale Antionobi, where they fired into the air and threw tear gas, frightening voters, representatives and members of polling stations.

At Coupe mardi-gras, 3rd communal section of Saut d'Eau, the voting center of Église Saint Benoit, supporters of AVNI and INITE clashed with sticks and stones. Both groups were campaigning in order to influence the vote. On two (2) occasions, voting was stopped. To restore calm, Minustah used tear gas. This caused a panic followed by a spontaneous demonstration.

NORTHWEST, GRAND ANSE, NIPPES

NORTH-WEST
Supervisors and members of polling stations located in the voting center École Église Baptiste Conservatrice in the town of Baie de Henne, voted several times and have allowed the voters supporters of the platform INITE to vote without their national identification card.

GRAND ANSE
In the department of Grand Anse, the official vehicle registered 00294, belonging to Senator Maxine Adler Roumer and piloted by Adler Maya, on board of which were armed men, transported individuals from a voting center to others in order to vote in favor of their candidates.

In Fond Rouge, 8th section of Jérémie, at the voting center Saint Charles, armed individuals working for the platform INITE entered into the center and stuffed the ballot boxes.

At polling station #2, of voting center Ecole d’Application, 7th communal section of Jérémie, voters have received two (2) ballots for voting for one president (ie. 2 votes for 1 president).

NIPPES

An unidentified individual voted in place of Jean Michel Bernard at the voting center Ecole Nationale de Duparc at Miragoane.

An individual named "Mackenzy", in the voting center Collège Armée du Salut, voted five (5) times with the complicity of members of the polling stations. In addition, the voter Murat Lesly was authorized by the presiding officer to vote without his electoral card.

At the voting center Ecole Nationale de Charlier, supervisor Frantz Lazard has restricted access to observers

Consequently, at the count, supervisors and representatives were alone in the voting center where malicious users have intervened and vandalized the center. The results were falsified in favor of Jocelerme Privert, at the prejudice of Serge D. Gaspard.

At the voting center Collège Mixte Berquin, at Paillant, Destiny Wesner Soliny member of the platform INITE, with the complicity of members of polling stations, placed two (2) INITE representatives per polling station while the other political parties struggled to be represented by their representatives Meanwhile, supporters of "Veye Yo" campaigned at the door of the center, offering voters money to vote for candidates "Veye Yo."

Mayor Peter Wilno entered the voting center Ecole Assemblée de Dieu de Bourguain, in the town of Petit Trou de Nippes, and made a distribution of money to voters who voted for his candidate.

NORTH

At Polling Station # 7 located in the voting center École Vivre Ensemble de Bois Laurance, commune of Limonade, a group of armed individuals were able to vote several times. These individuals have attacked members of the board and the president of the voting site staff has been slapped.

In the commune of Saint Raphaël, armed supporters of former deputy Dener SISSOIR for the candidate to his succesion under the banner of the platform INITE vandalized all nine (9) voting centers located in the town. The perpetrators of these acts are named:
1. Fidel Fayol
2. Guytan Charler
3. Antoine Olibri
4. Jean Edlin
5. JeanMadistin
6. FilsAiméLuccène
7. FanerRodlin
8. Petit-Homme Eczéchiel
9. Ti Lucien

Meanwhile, supporters of "Rasanble" stuffed the ballot boxes at the voting center École Catholique Saint Viateur of Dondon, in favor of their candidates.

In addition, supporters of PDI, INITE and LAVNI fought amongst themselves for the stuffing of ballot boxs. There followed a gunfight during which gunfire was exchanged. This scenario repeated itself in Limbé between the same parties representatives, PDI, INITE and Lavni who threw stones and fired towards the polling station #1 located in the voting center École Nationale Gardes Farges of Bas-Limbé.

Gunmen burst into the polling station #2 of the voting center Petit Poste de Pilate. They ordered the President of this office to sign the ballots, in order to enable them to stuff the ballot boxes.In several voting centers, gunmen, partisans of Nawoon Marcellus, Senate candidate for the Department of North, under the banner of the presidential platform INITE, proceeded to the stuffing of ballot boxse, including at the Parish voting center of Grande Rivière du Nord and at the voting center École d'Application of Milot.

In the district of Grande Rivière du Nord, Bahon, president of the BED, Yvon Jean NOËL and that of the BEC, Jean Joseph, accompanied by the vice-delegate of the district of Grande Rivière du Nord, Denis Philippe and parliamentary candidate in the presidential platform INITE Occinjac Benjamin, All four (4) assisted by PNH officers assigned to the Office of the Grande Rivière du Nord, proceeded to stuffing ballot boxs in seventeen (17) of the twenty (20) voting centers located throughout the district.

In reaction, the population vandalized some polling stations and burnt at least two (2) voting centers. These were the voting center Lycée le Phare, located in the locality of Dassier, 2nd communal section of Bahon and the voting center École Communautaire Jolitrou, 2nd communal section of the Grande Rivière du Nord. Ballots were torn and discarded.

The seventeen (17) voting centers vandalized are :
1. Salle Paroissiale
2. École Nationale de Dufailly
3. École Nationale de Grand Gilles
4. École Communautaire de Joli Trou
5. École Nationale de Lavite
6. École Nationale de Bonamy
7. École Nationale de Caracol
8. École Nationale de Zépini
9. École Nationale de Galifète
10. Centre Gagnère La Couronne
11. Centre de Saint Malon
12. Maison Crisocal
13. Lycée Le Phare
14. Centre de vote de Saint Marice
15. Centre de Dacier
16. Centre de Linche-ville
17. Église de Pellier

At the polling station #4 of the voting center École Nationale de Bas Honey, 1st section of La Victoire, the secretary of BEC Audatte Lunis, decided to cast two (2) times in order to promote his party INITE while at the voting center École Nationale Grison Garde of l’Acul du Nord, president of the polling station, and party member of "Veye Yo", asked voters to vote for his party. Throwing of stones and broken bottles as well as shooting of firearms were reported in this commune.

At the voting center École Nationale de Borgne, the magistrate Jules Bernard PIERRE had at around 10:00am, decided to grant access to the polling station #1 exclusively to supporters of the platform INITE. However, before counting, observers have discovered ballots whose votes are for the candidate of the party "Ayiti an Aksyon (AAA" St louis Dufond.

NORTH-EAST

At polling station #16 of the voting center "Ecole Nationale former Lycée de Ouanaminthe", a supporter of the Platform INITE, known as John had asked the presiding officer the authorization to vote despite the fact that his name is not on the electoral roll. Having not been authorized to do so, he tore a set of ballots.

At polling station #10 a group of individuals claiming to be from the platform INITE, assaulted an representative of RDNP. In parallel on the courtyard of the center, around 1:00pm, a supporter of RDNP attacked a supporter of the platform INITE because he was in possession of some completed ballots for the INITE candidates and was awaiting the opportune moment to drop them into the ballot box.

At polling station #17 of the same voting center, an individual named Paulin, claiming to be of the platform INITE, refused, after voting, to have a mark put on his thumb. The Vice-President Joseph Petrus, who insisted, was struck. However, it should be noted that the Vice-President Petrus Joseph brought his supporters in the office and asked the president to sign multiple ballots and deliver them in order to allow them to vote for the party RDNP, all this, without an identification card.

It was around 3:00pm when unidentified persons, entered the voting center located at the Collège Georges Muller of Ouanaminthe with ballots in hand. The police intercepted them. Suddenly, sporadic gunfire was heard near the center, forcing election workers to close the polling stations.

At about 2:00pm, the President of the BED Northeast, Victor M Jonas, burst into the voting center located at the Ecole Nationale de Bouyahi, municipality of Fort-Liberté, with in his possession some calendars of the platform INITE. He distributed them in the polling stations and on the grounds with confidence, and advised voters to vote for the platform INITE.

This generated strong protests from supporters and voters of other political parties.

A heated argument erupted between several voters who were on the grounds of the voting center of Lycée de Terrier Rouge. They disrupted the voting process and destroyed voting materials.

At polling station #4 of the voting center Ecole Nationale de Dubuisson, supporters of the platform INITE have been authorized by the members of the polling stations, to vote with only one ID card.( ie. 1 for all and all for 1!)

At the polling stations of the voting center Lycée Paul Eugene Magloire de Fort Liberté, repreentatives of the platform INITE with the complicity of some center supervisors, such as Manca, Pierre Jaccin aka Poison, Secretary of the BEC in the town of Fort Liberté, wanted to undermine the voting process because they realized that their party was not leading.

They knocked about all those they found in the polling station, with the exception of supporters of the INITE party. Even domestic observers were not spared.

At the polling station #3 of this center, Mr. Bovar Francklin, secretary did not want to mark the thumb of a representative of the Party "Ansanm nou fò", because they are friends and from the same political party.

In the commune of Trou du Nord, the former deputy Donald Dorsainvil, candidate to his succession under the banner Platform INITE, at the head of an armed commando, vandalized all eight (8) polling stations placed in this commune.

Six (6)young men, supporters of the platform INITE, all armed with guns, imposed themselves as the members of the electoral security assigned to the voting center Lycée Anténor Firmin of Caracol to ensure the safety of that center. Panicked, voters were forced to vacate.

The National Network for the Defence of Human Rights (RNDDH) that had deployed national and international observers throughout the country, sharing its observations with public opinion on the conduct of elections, irregularities, frauds and violence reported. The observation of the electoral process by RNDDH was made possible through funding from the European Union. The results of these observations may in no circumstances be considered as reflecting the position of the European Union.

INCIDENTS AND POST-ELECTORAL VIOLENCE

Fort-Liberté (North East Department):

On 1 December, at 09:30 hours, unidentified suspects fired gunshots in front of the house of the Vice Coordinator of the Rassemblement des Démocrates Nationaux Progressistes d'Haïti (RDNP) party. Subsequently, the suspects also shot towards two vehicles driving nearby. There were no reported injuries or loss of life. An investigation was opened.

Ouanaminthe (North East Department) :

On 1 December, at 13:00 hours, MINUSTAH Police reported the discovery of two ballot boxes containing ballot papers at the headquarters of the Rassemblement des Démocrates Nationaux Progressistes d'Haïti (RDNP) party of Ms. Mirlande Manigat. MINUSTAH police and HNP officers responded to the scene and recovered the ballot boxes. An investigation was opened.

Ravine-au-Cayes (South Department) :

On 1 December, at 13:15 hours, in the neighborhood of Ravine-au-Cayes, Les Cayes (South Department), a group of 50 Répons Peyzan supporters erected barricades on the road, burned tires, and fired gunshots in the direction of HNP officers. They chanted victory slogans for their candidate, demanding the CEP declare him the winner of the first round. MINUSTAH police, military and HNP officers used non-lethal weapons to disperse the demonstrators and cleared the road. No injuries were reported.

Port-au-Prince (West Department) :

On 2 December, in Port-au-Prince, a demonstration of 1,000 protestors took place at Aviation Carrefour. The protesters, coming from CEP on Delmas and Champ de Mars, got together to protest against the recent presidential election and requested for its cancellation. MINUSTAH police and HNP monitored the event which ended peacefully.

Saint Michel de l’Attalaye, Gonaïves (Artibonite Department) :

On 2 December, at 01.00 hours, in Saint Michel de l'Attalaye, unidentified persons set fire to the Justice ot the Peace court for unknown reason and destroyed the building. An investigation has been opened.

*** The results of these observations may in no circumstances be considered as reflecting the position of Karen Bultje either :) ***