The Citizen's Observatory for the Institutionalization of Democracy (OCID) wanted to ensure that the promises made by the Government to rehabilitate the voting centers and road accesses, which was scheduled for completion on 13 November. To this end, on November 14 and 15, 2016, OCID conducted a survey at the level of the Communal Electoral Offices (BEC) and of Voting Centers located in the areas affected by Hurricane Matthew.

187 OCID observers carried out a site visit and collected data on 159 voting centers in 48 communes in the departments affected by the disaster, including: 94 centers in the south, 24 in Grand-Anse, 18 in Nippes, 16 in the West, 4 in the Southeast, 2 in the Northwest and 1 in the North. On the other hand, OCID also conducted 28 telephone interviews with officials from 28 BECs in the same regions to complete its evaluation work.

The survey revealed that in 72% of the cases, rehabilitation works had been carried out or were in progress on 14 November. Specifically, 46% of the damaged buildings have already been repaired / rehabilitated and 32% of the works are about to be completed. It should be noted that the interviews with BEC members confirmed this trend, as 41.8% of the partially damaged voting centers were rehabilitated on 15 November and the rehabilitation work had already been completed in 40.2% on the same date.

Moreover, more than 80% of BEC members interviewed and who have at their commune level of Voting centers totally destroyed or without roofing already have tents at their disposal, which will be transported to voting centers to be installed Friday, November 18, according to officials of BCE interviewed.

It should be noted, however, that the OCID observers noted that at least 3 voting centers in the South Department were still occupied by disaster victims at the time of the survey (’École Nationale De Beaulieu, 1st section Beaulieu of the commune Roche à Bateau ; École Nationale Chevalier, 4th section Condé of the commune of Coteaux and the Lycée Claudy Museau of the commune of Les Cayes).

As for the condition of the roads leading to voting centers in hurricane-affected areas, our observers found that 69% are either good or fair, and that one that access to 83% of voting centers on motorcycles or with a 4x4 vehicle (60% for the latter mean).

HL/ HaitiLibre