Haiti's largest political party banned from election process financed by the United States and the International Community. Such elections cannot be genuine, fair, free, democratic and inclusive elections but flagrant and malicious human rights violations. This fraudulent process shall not, by any measure, vest the Haitian people's authority in the government and special interests deemed elected.

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Ezili's HLLN on the decision to ban Haiti's largest political party from upcoming elections

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As the old song goes, "They smile in your face...back-stabbers." The Obama administration "artfully pursues a policy of smiles and handshakes all around while undermining democratic forces through proxies whenever the opportunity arises." Washington reserves its rawest deceits for the small countries of the Americas like Honduras and Haiti. (In Honduras and Haiti, the U.S. Rules by Proxy By Glen Ford, A Black Agenda Radio commentary)

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The Haitian government-under-US/UN-occupation has again excluded Haiti's largest political party from participating in upcoming elections financed, orchestrated and supported by the United States and the International Community. This time, the February and March 2010 legislative elections where the 99 seats in the Parliament's Chamber of Deputies will be at stake, along with, one-third (10) of the 30-member Senate seats.

The best or most glorious example of free, fair, democratic and pluralistic elections in Haiti was held 20-years ago on December 16, 1990 when the people of Haiti voted, en mass, for Haiti's first democratically elected President.

The people of Haiti took that election and turned it into a movement called the Lavalas Movement. It's purpose was for inclusion. Its purpose was so that Haiti's majority would get to use the assets of their own country to improve the public's condition - to have schools, authentic not Pepe education, to build roads, infrastructure, health care, job opportunities and Haitian dignity. But the colonizers and former slave-owning nations, headed by the super powerful United States, have been trying to take back control of Haiti since that December 16, 1990 election and return political power back into the hands of Haiti's Oligarchy who traditionally act as middlemen for US/Euro-transnational companies and wealth interests; to return poor Haitians to their lives of misery, indifference and neglect from their government and their representatives. After two US-sponsored coup d'etats and with the current US/UN occupation, this status quo is currently back in place and the colonizers cannot stop congratulating themselves on their great victory over the people of Haiti since said Blacks dared to democratically empower themselves on December 16, 1990.

Fanmi Lavalas, President Aristide's political party, the most popular and strongest political party in Haiti, was again, just banned from participating in elections. Gaillot Dorsinvil, President of the Haitian Provisional Electoral Council selected and operating at the whims of Rene Preval, said that Fanmi Lavalas' registration papers did not meet all legal requirements. (See below, Letter from Dr Jean-Bertrand Aristide, Former President of the Republic of Haiti/National Representative of Fanmi Lavalas to Gaillot Dorsinvil, president of the Haitian Provisional Electoral Council, November 18, 2009).

The US, UN, OAS and European Union, who have opposed the inclusion of Haiti's majority in participating in the national affairs of Haiti since the December 16, 1990 vote where, for the first time in Haiti's 200-year history, the people of Haiti overturned the reign of the few over the many, overturned US/Euro supported dictatorship/neocolonialism, to elect President Jean Bertrand Aristide in Haiti's first free and fair elections, are today, by-the-point-of- US/UN-guns, managing, once again, without any public outcry from the world community, to effectively and conclusively EXCLUDE the majority of Haiti's Blacks from the electoral process.

The OAS is making money off these sham elections by providing identification cards to Haitians. The UN is providing ballot box and polling-place security. The US is putting in $18million of US taxpayer dollars, which of course, as per usual, will go in the pockets of USAID/State Department/IRI/NED/CIA cronies for fees, salaries and administrative expenses.

The remaining, so-called "international community," will undoubtedly send international electoral observers, or even Jimmy Carter to certify how successful this upcoming February/March 2010 vote will be. Everything is set for the masturbation on Black pain. They've done it since dis-enfranchising Haiti's Black majority in 2004, imposing UN occupation and over 10,000 paternalistic foreign NGOs on the backs of defenseless Haitians. The UN is garnering over $600million a year in jobs for its UN soldiers and the NGO's are divvying up, amongst themselves, the over 70% of Haiti's national budget financed by the international community. What a racket!

The last elections, in April/June of 2009, where the Fanmi Lavalas political party was excluded, saw a turnout of from 3% to 11% in Haiti, depending on who you talk to.

Still, that the majority of Haitians are EXCLUDED from participating in elections is of no great concern to key stakeholders like UN Envoy Bill Clinton, George Soros, UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama.

In fact, these nations, their representatives and NGO heads continue to congratulate themselves, ad nausea, on how IMPROVED Haiti is now without the majority of Black Haitians participating in the Haitian government; continue to publish wonderful PR stories of the IMPROVEMENTS and good INVESTMENT CLIMATE in Haiti right now!

President Preval chauffeurs Special UN Envoy Bill Clinton around, all smiles, as the Haitian people flee to shark-infested waters on rickety, overcrowded boats where they drown or get deported back to starvation by Barack Obamas' Administration, smiles while Haiti dies of starvation, Clorox hunger, dies under the weight of high food/fuel prices, curable diseases or wrongful imprisonment in overcrowded UN/US-run prisons in Haiti. President Preval never mentions the UN rapes, the unfair free trade policies that have imposed starvation in Haiti, the coup d'etat killings or indefinite detentions. In fact, the Haitian Parliament, in a rare moment, raised the minimum wage from 70 gourdes (or $1.75 per day) to 200 gourdes (about $5 a day or .63 cents per hour). President Preval, citing the US-HOPE II Act, and his concern that US businesses would make too little a profit in Haiti, vetoed it. The HOPE Act allows for duty-free exports of clothing to the U.S. for 10 years. "Apparently a minimum wage of .63 cents per hour to desperately impoverished Haitians will hurt US consumers and big business. But 38 cents per hour (or $3 per day) is enough according to Haitian President Preval, although poor Haitians have to pay high US-prices to the mercenary families (Haitian Oligarchy) for imported US goods in Haiti- (rice, soap, oil, clothes, food, toothpaste, shampoo, all supplies, etc.)"

How did such a US/Euro "improvement" and massive Haiti dis-enfranchisement occur in Haiti?

By the killing of over 14,000 Haitians - opposing dictatorship and US/UN occupation from 2004 to 2006- who had voted for President Aristide; by the rape of over 35,000 Haitian women and girls from the poor areas; by the indefinite detentions without charge, trial or conviction of 88% of Haiti's incarcerated children and more than 6,440 out of the 8,204 current prison detainees (See, State Department 2008 Human Rights Report: Haiti). And, of course, first and foremost, with the 2004 US-coupnapping that put President Jean Bertrand Aristide on a US cargo plane - used for renditions - that flew President Aristide and Haiti's First Lady into forced exile.

Before the 2004 coup d'etat, Haiti barely had 3,000 prisoners throughout the country. Today in UN-occupied Haiti, more than 6,440 still await trial, remain in jail, some going on for five years of prolonged detention, without ever having been charged, tried or convicted of any crime. Lovinsky Pierre Antoine, Haiti's foremost human rights advocate, was disappeared in UN-occupied Haiti on August 12, 2007, not long after he gave an interview denouncing the coup d'etat, the UN and the Haitian oligarchy.

President Aristide is currently in exile in South Africa where he is essentially under house arrest, watched carefully and, for all intents and purposes, not allowed to freely express himself without the PERMISSION of the coup d'etat countries of US, Canada and France before any message to the Haitian people is allowed through.

But in November 2009 after the Haitian electoral council again banned Haiti's most powerful political party from participation in the upcoming elections, at great risk to himself and his family and, in an attempt to meet the registration requirements imposed by Haiti's government under-US/UN-occupation, for the first time since being forcibly deported from Haiti by the US, President Aristide went on Radio Solidarité, a popular Haitian radio station, to confirm that he has, in fact, as head of the Fanmi Lavalas' political party, authorized Lavalas Family official, Maryse Narcisse, to act as his proxy to register the Fanmi Lavalas political party for the upcoming parliamentary elections. (Listen to Interview of Dr Jean-Bertrand Aristide by Radio Solidarité .)

The Haitian electoral council requires the president of each political party to personally come to their offices to register their party for the election. Supposedly, if the president of a political party cannot personally appear, he or she must provide a party delegate with a notarized letter to act on his/her behalf. In the case of the Fanmi Lavalas Party, the president, Jean Bertrand Aristide, has tried to meet the requirements for registration, even though those requirements are an impossibility from exile. First, President Aristide faxed a copy of the letter authorizing Maryse Narcisse as his proxy to register the Lavalas party (See below Response to letter sent by the Provisional Electoral Council .)

Then, at the request of the electoral council, he mailed, via DHL, from South Africa, the original letter of authorization and when that wasn't enough, he went before the world, on a national radio show, to clearly and unequivocally state that he authorizes Maryse Narcisse as his legitimate proxy to register the Lavalas party.

President Aristide told Radio Solidarité, "It was me who wrote the mandate, signed the mandate and sent the mandate." He called for "honest, fair and free elections" and said he would personally come before the electoral council if the Haitian government would give him travel documents.

Gaillot Dorsinvil's reply was that the electoral council's decision was final.

Thus, the Haitian Provisional Electoral Council will not recognize the Aristide authorization and register the Lavalas party. The reasons given is that the Aristide authorization is not technically legal presumably because the President's signature was not properly witnessed by a Haitian notary (if he was in Haiti) or, as he is abroad in exile, by a Haitian consulate or embassy abroad. That Aristide is in exile doesn't escape the electoral council's notice even though they act as if forced exile is not a logistical factor with the Lavalas registration. There is no Haitian embassy or consulate in South Africa or anywhere near where President Aristide is. The nearest Haitian counsulate is, to the best of our information, in Nigeria and then Europe. But that Nigerian office is not even open but for a few times a year. And besides, even if President Jean Bertrand Aristide where allowed to move from his South African house-arrest-exile by the coup d'etat countries of France, Canada and the US, as he indicates in the Radio Solidarité interview, his Haitian passport has expired and the Haitian government knows he cannot travel without its renewal. Aristide wrote, in sum, "the green-light from the Haitian government has not yet arrived here in South Africa."

And so, under the current disenfranchisement and coup d'etat/occupation mindset in Haiti, the largest and most powerful political party simply will not be allowed to register for elections at any time, period. It's fair to say no matter what Lavalas does, the point of the UN occupation is to exclude the majority from participatory democracy and deny the December 16th revolution and Lavalas movement.

That's exactly how the international community, the UN and Barack Obama's administration wants it to remain no matter that this situation defies democratic ideals, human rights, justice, equity, public law, is immoral, terrorizing, violates basic international law, the OAS charter, the UN charter, Caricom and other Hemispheric and international treaties on human rights, Haitian sovereignty, the Haitian constitution, and all legitimate election laws for fair, free and democratic elections.

And so, whether its through the 2004 coup d'etat, its reverberating repercussions or through this current Haitian provisional electoral council's circular legalese, where the voice of Haiti's majority is summarily excluded and fair and free elections cannot be held, this exclusion forms the foundation for the current US controls in Haiti and for their Haiti improvement and "good investment environment."

Article 21(1) of the United Nation's Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that "Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives." Article 21(3) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that "The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government." The UN, US and OAS are plainly presiding over tainted elections in Haiti that excludes not just the voice of a minority, which would indeed be reprehensible, but the will of the majority in Haiti. This fraudulent process shall not, by any measure, vest the Haitian people's authority in the government and special interests deemed elected. For, such elections are not genuine, fair, free, democratic and inclusive but flagrant and malicious human rights violations.

Ezili Dantò
Haitian Lawyers Leadership Network (HLLN)
December 16, 2009
Haiti's Holocaust and Middle Passage Continues

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Dr Jean-Bertrand Aristide
Former President of the Republic of Haiti
National Representative of Fanmi Lavalas

Mr Gaillot Dorsinvil
President of the Provisional Electoral Council
Republic of Haiti

Mr Dorsinvil,

I salute you and thank you for the letter that you wrote to me dated 9 November 2009. I would have been happy to participate in the meeting of 13 November, but unfortunately the notice was too short. The green-light from the Haitian government has not yet arrived here in South Africa; I will come for a future occasion.

In the meanwhile, I mandate Dr Maryse Narcisse to represent Fanmi Lavalas before the Provisional Electoral Council. She has the authority to register, for the post of deputy and senator, Fanmi Lavalas candidates who are prepared to participate in elections that are free, honest and democratic. She has the authority to speak with the Provisional Electoral Council in the name of Fanmi Lavalas until I return.

Mr Dorsinvil, when you deem it necessary, you can always write to me, as you did in your 9 of November letter.

I am happy to salute you again, and I hope that this time, this new Provisional Electoral Council will find the full and complete freedom to organize elections that are free, honest and democratic.

Every person is a human being.

Every person counts.

The vote of every person counts.

Patriotically,

Dr Jean-Bertrand Aristide
18 November 2009
Pretoria, South Africa

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BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

Aristide's Response to letter sent by the Provisional Electoral Council

Letter from Dr Jean-Bertrand Aristide, Former President of the Republic of Haiti/National Representative of Fanmi Lavalas to Gaillot Dorsinvil
President of the Haitian Provisional Electoral Council, November 18, 2009

Popular candidates kept off ballot in Haiti

by G. Dunkel, Dec. 11, 2009
http://www.workers.org/2009/world/haiti_1217/

(In Kreyòl) Press Release -Fanmi Lavalas appeal for free and fair elections and the return of President Aritide to Haiti (KEP LA DWE ALE, DOKTÈ ARISTID DWE TOUNEN LAKAY LI)
click here

The Petition - Haitian People's Appeal for Fair Elections (in English and Kreyol) http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/eleksyonbonvre/

Comité Fanmi Lavalas Paris, December 12, 2009

Two-faced Democracy in Haiti by Kevin Pina
click here

In Honduras and Haiti, the U.S. Rules by Proxy

Haiti Bars Ex-President's Party From Elections for Parliament
By REUTERS, November 26, 2009

UN urges equal treatment ahead of Haiti elections (AP) Nov 27, 2009

Haiti: Charge of Manipulation in 2010 elections

Haitian-Americans ask the next US president to....end UN occupation, grant TPS, stop trading for Haiti with USAID and the NGOs, support sustainable development...

Authors Website: http://www.ezilidanto.com

Authors Bio:

Human Rights Lawyer, Èzili Dantò is dedicated to correcting the media lies and colonial narratives about Haiti. An award winning playwright, a performance poet, author and lawyer, Èzili Dantò is founder of the Haitian Lawyers Leadership Network, runs the Èzili Dantò website, listserve, eyewitness project, FreeHaitiMovement, the on-line journal, Haitian Perspectives and Zili Dlo, an Èzili Network project for clean water, renewable power, cultural education and skills transfer for Haiti. In 2018, Èzili was an honoree, Connecticut Women Hall of Fame.