New concerns as Haiti gears for November 20 elections

Haiti’s Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) has hinted at the possibility of a postponement of the November 20 presidential and legislative elections, if the authorities are not able to repair the nearly 300 polling centers damaged by Hurricane Matthew last month.

The CEP is also urging the government to ensure that voters have access to the roads leading to the polling centers.

In an October, 27 letter sent to Interim President Jocelerme Privert, CEP president Léopold Berlanger has given the government 10 days in order to get the 280 voting centers repaired and make accessible the roads to another 161 centers.

The CEP also wants the authorities to provide voting cards to persons who lost their identification cards after the hurricane.

“Convinced that only the expedited execution of these provisions will allow to respect the indispensable deadline of 20 November for the elections, the CEP remains mobilized to collaborate with the executive to accomplish this goal,” Berlanger wrote.

Last month, following the passage of the hurricane that killed hundreds of people and caused widespread destruction, the CEP announced that the 2nd round of elections will be held on January 29.

Haiti’s elections had been scheduled for October 9. The country’s previous elections, in 2015, were cancelled because of fraud leaving Haiti in political limbo.

Since President Michel Martelly demitted office in February, parliament elected Privert as interim president.

Haiti was forced to postpone the scheduled 2nd round of elections in January this year amid protests after the front-runner Jude Célestin said he would not campaign until government officials addressed fraud allegations resulting from the October 25 poll last year.

The 5 main challengers for the post of president are Jean-Henri Céant; Jovenel Moïse; Jude Célestin; Moïse Jean-Charles and Maryse Narcisse. -(CMC)