Haiti: Presidential campaign resumes without Jude Celestin

Jude Celestin – one of the candidates in Haiti’s upcoming presidential run-off election – has refused to participate in continuing with his campaign unless there are sweeping reforms to the electoral process.

In addition, Celestin declared that he will not participate in the January 24 polls until recommendations that an independent electoral commission presented earlier are fully implemented – to prevent any attempts at electoral fraud.

That commission issued a series of recommendations that included an end to voting in private homes and the use of recommended mechanisms to prevent multiple voting.

Not all of the recommended measures have been implemented.

Celestin, the runner-up in Haiti’s first-round vote in October, had earlier refused to campaign until an independent electoral commission was established to study voting problems. However,Celestin’s rival, Jovenel Moïse started his campaign on Friday in the suburb of Petionville.

In the October 25 first-round election, Moïse drew 32.8 percent of the vote against 25.3 percent for Celestin.

Last month, the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) postponed the December 27 presidential runoff to allow a 5-member commission to address allegations of multiple voting and ballot tampering.

Celestin and his party are demanding an independent review of the late October first round of voting, which it insists was rigged in favor of Moïse, who is backed by the outgoing Martelly administration. -(CMC)