– from the November ballot is “undemocratic and unconstitutional.”
They also raise concerns about Haitian voters having access to voting cards and polling stations, particularly those voters displaced by the devastating Jan. 12 earthquake.
“We believe it is imperative that these elections be free, fair, and inclusive, and result in a government that is legitimate and perceived as legitimate,” they write.
“The Nov. 28 elections are particularly important to re-establish an effective legislature, establish political accountability for the expenditure of large amounts of money, and resolve Haiti’s current societal disputes in a peaceful and democratic manner,” they add.
“As it currently stands, Haiti’s Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) has decided to exclude candidates from over a dozen political parties from participating in the elections, including Fanmi Lavalas, Haiti’s largest political party. The exclusion will undermine both Haitians’ right to vote and the resulting government’s ability to govern,” the U.S. lawmakers continue.
They say that last November, the CEP, which was appointed through a process not recognized in Haiti’s Constitution, excluded 14 parties from parliamentary elections then scheduled for February 2010, without providing a “written, comprehensive explanation.”
Although those elections were postponed and rescheduled for this Nov. 28, the congress persons say the CEP refused to revisit the disqualifications, “which have been widely condemned by civil society and parties across Haiti’s political spectrum,” adding that a previous CEP, with many of the same members, also excluded Fanmi Lavalas and other parties from Senatorial elections in April 2009.
