In the framework of its support to the process of consolidation of democracy and the rule of law, the Secretary General of la Francophonie (OIF) Mr. Abdou Diouf, has sent to Haiti a mission of information and contacts for the elections : presidential, legislative and senatorial of March 20, 2011. This mission follows that sent for the first round, on November 28, 2010.

This mission was led by Mr. Jacques Crete, former Ambassador of Canada and composed of five personalities from: Canada, Quebec, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon and the French Community of Belgium, who met from March 16 to 23, all the national and international actors involved in the electoral process.

During its stay, the Mission has followed the last preparations for the elections while remaining in constant contact with the national authorities, institutions responsible for the organisation and the monitoring of the elections and the candidates. Moreover, the mission has conducted numerous consultations, both with international partners represented in Haiti, that with the international and national organizations involved in the observation of elections.

The mission, strong of these exchanges, was able to note that the campaign as the organisation of the second round took place in a context more peaceful than last November. The national authorities in charge of the electoral process have focused their efforts, on implementing most of the technical recommendations have been made by the national and international actors in their observation and evaluation of the first round. The Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) in particular has made ​​real efforts of communication towards the voters and political parties. The candidates and political parties have also demonstrated a greater responsibility in the conduct of the campaign, allowing to limit the number of incidents and acts of violence, although some tensions are resurfaced with the approach of the election day.

The mobilization of voters, which seems slightly higher than the first round, is nevertheless not to the height of the challenges of such elections and of the requests for information relating to the identification of the centers of votes recorded by the voters in recent weeks. One reason lies in the difficulties related both to the process of revision of the electoral list, and the delivery of the national ID cards (NIC), which had already been identified in the first round.

Improvements made between the two rounds :

• The security of the electoral process, including through an enhanced presence and more effective agents of the Police Nationale d'Haiti (PNH) and the UN Mission for Stabilization in Haiti (Minustah), as well as electoral security agents;

• The training and identification of the polling stations staff;

• The information and guidance of the voters through the establishment of information systems (call center, SMS, website, campaign, etc..), and counselors in the voting centers;

• Readability and the display of the voter lists;

• The strengthening of the staff of national and international observers.

  Dysfunctions were also found :

  • Non-compliance of the electoral materials in many voting centers, delaying the start of voting;

  • The small size and sometimes the unsuitability of some polling places;

  • The secrecy of the vote, sometimes not respected

  To remedy the shortcomings and difficulties observed throughout the process and lay the foundations of a consolidation in the medium and long term of the electoral framework in Haiti, the mission recommends that:

  • The amendment of the Organic Law to convert the Provisional Electoral Council into a permanent electoral council, and thereby strengthen the character reliable and independent of the main structure responsible for the preparation, organization and control of the of the electoral process and sustain the gains and the electoral heritage;

  • The adoption of the regulations to clarify the legal framework and the procedures relating to electoral processes;

  • The continuation of the reinforcement of the capacities of the actors of the electoral process, to ensure better material and logistics organization of the voting process.

  The mission of La Francophonie calls on candidates to continue to respect the democratic process, refraining from any unilateral declaration on the basis of partial results, and wait in the calm, the announcement of provisional results by the CEP. It also invites the candidates to have recourse, as necessary, to legal channels in case of challenge of the results.

  It asks the competent institutions to ensure with transparency, serious and responsibility, the treatment of the results and the review of any appeal in accordance with the laws and regulations and in the spirit of the commitments made by the Heads of State and of Government in the Bamako Declaration, in favor of free, reliable and transparent elections.

  The mission considers that these elections are an important step of the process of consolidation of the democracy and the rule of law in Haiti. It therefore urges all the political actors to fall under a constructive approach having to allow the consolidation of an alleviated political life and durable, itself favorable to the conduct of the process of rebuilding.

  HL/ HaitiLibre / OIF