HERDING DUCKS IN HAITI

HERDING DUCKS IN HAITI
(Winninpeg Free Press) - Editorial

Although the results of Haiti's presidential runoff election won't be declared official until April 16, president-elect Michel Martelly has already decided to invite all the country's living ex-presidents to his inauguration.

It should be quite a rogue's gallery -- Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier, Jean-Bertand Aristide, René Préval -- all unrepentant reminders of the corruption and incompetence and worse that have plagued Haiti throughout its existence.

That is going to change now, says Mr. Martelly. With 68 per cent of the vote -- a huge margin over his opponent, Mirlande Manigat -- and no obvious evidence or even outcry against fraudulent voting, he will get the opportunity to prove it.

"Sweet Mickey," as Mr. Martelly was known when he was a pop singer, faces an extraordinary challenge. In the last 15 months, the country has endured disasters and plagues biblical in proportion. In their wake, they left a string of broken hopes and broken promises.

On Jan. 12, 2010, Haiti was devastated by a 7.0-magnitude earthquake.

The international community rushed to the rescue with emergency aid and plans and promises and pledges of long-term reconstruction. Canada was the most generous in its commitments and has been moderately faithful in keeping them. Other nations have been less true to their words -- only 37 per cent of the money promised for reconstruction in 2010 was actually delivered.

Even so, a great deal of money has gone into Haiti. Unfortunately, there is not a lot to show for it. Part of the reason for that is the lack of infrastructure and organization. Dealing with the plethora of competing groups involved in aid and reconstruction has been described as "like herding ducks."

A cholera epidemic has further disorganized the country and frustrated the best-intentioned efforts of aid workers and, as former president Préval told the UN this week, the foreign military presence in Haiti is far greater today than the construction industry's, and this in "a country that has no war."

Mr. Préval is hardly blameless himself. As president, he was at best diffident in his efforts to rebuild Haiti. In fact, Haiti's politicians have always been a major part of the problem. Fraudulent elections in 2010 have paralyzed co-ordinated reconstruction planning.

Mr. Martelly says he will change that, but has offered no identifiable program to do it. Asked about his plan for his first 100 days, he says that is "barely time to build a small house." If he can do even that, however, it will be a step forward for a still rather hopeless Haiti.