Haitian Election Run Off Announced

[bcholmes]

In a press release issued late last night, the US Embassy in Haiti cast serious doubt on the preliminary results of ballot counts in the November 28 National Election-- an election already fraught with accusations of ballot tampering, fraud, intimidation and outright theft.

Like others, the Government of the United States is concerned by the Provisional Electoral Council's announcement of preliminary results from the November 28 national elections that are inconsistent with the published results of the National Election Observation Council (CNO), which had more than 5,500 observers and observed the vote count in 1,600 voting centers nationwide, election-day observations by official U.S. observers accredited by the CEP, and vote counts observed around the country by numerous domestic and international observers.

The impetus for this unprecedented statement is obvious.

Polling and leaked results had indicated a surprise in which the Preval government's choice, Jude Celestin, had been reduced to third place behind a grandmother and a popular, flamboyant musician. All polling had indicated that 70-year-old Mirlande H. Manigat, a former parliamentarian, Sorbonne graduate and the wife of a past president, along with businessman and musician Michel "Sweet Mickey" Martelly (49) had surged in a crowded field. This was a spectacular overturn of a campaign that, according to observers, had used every trick in the book to ensure that Celestin won the election.

The popularity of Manigat and Martelly was supported in preliminary estimates by the National Election Council (CNO), a watchdog group financed by the European Union. Polling of voters showed former first lady Manigat had 30 percent of the vote, Martelly 25 percent and Celestin only 20 percent. CNO's unofficial estimate was based on data from 15 percent of polling stations. It was this estimate that prompted a response from the US Embassy.

However, the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) announced last night that former first lady Manigat won 31% of the vote and Celestin 22%. Martelly polled just over 21% - about 6,800 votes short of Celestin--less than 1 percent. Final results have been promised by December 20.

— "US Embassy Casts Official Doubt on Haiti's Election Results", Huffington Post

Huh. The US (and Secretary Clinton, in particular) were big players in forcing Haiti to hold elections. I believe they're pretty complicit in a lot of the funny stuff of this and other elections since 2004. If the US embassy is criticizing the election results, the fraud must be especially egregious.

Haiti uses a form of run-off voting (but not instant run-off). Now that the list of candidates have been winnowed down, Haitians will return to the polls.