If I stand quietly in my room tonight, in the distance I can hear the shouts of what are presumably a number of agitated people, their discontent echoing off of the hills around my neighborhood.
Haitian elections were held on 28 November, and tonight -- after MUCH delay -- the results were announced...sort of. Predictably, there will be a run-off. With 18 candidates in the running, it was always unlikely that a majority would be attained in only one election. What was uncertain, however, was who would be in the run-off.
It seems that the election commission, in consultation with the UN, the government (or what is left of it since Parliament disbanded in May), various international community members, and other 'concerned parties', may be trying to diffuse a difficult situation. But the solution they came up with is not likely to appease the masses.
One of the front runners in this election was the notorious, charming Sweet Micky, a Haitian music star known to wear ladies' clothing at concerts, tell the government to 'fuck their mother' during a past Carnival, and generally act like a musician. While this would not seem like the best candidate to lead a country to most of us from the developed world, here in Haiti, 'Michel Joseph Martelly' was a shoo-in. No further comment or explanation needed, I imagine.
The other popular front runner was Mirlande Manigat, an educated woman in her 70s who helped craft the constitution that was established after the Duvaliers were kicked out in '86. Her husband was President for less than a year in the late 80s before being ousted. She is generally perceived as being a reasonable, informed person who is most likely among the competitors to be an effective leader at this critical moment. Notice I said 'most likely among the competitors.'
The third front runner was only such because he was the hand-selected candidate of the current (deeply unpopular) Presidential administration. This candidate, Jude Celestin, spent an obscene amount of money on campaign ads so farcical they bordered on offensive. (For example, he protested that during the cholera outbreak, candidates were still running their ads, saying it was unfeeling to keep focus on the elections instead of on the current crisis. His ads, naturally, continued running, to which he responded, 'Well, I can't stop the radio stations.' I picture a non-commital shrug accompanying that statement, but I think that's just in my head.) This person, unsurprisingly, did not have much popular support, but he did have a lot of *financial* backing, which in Haiti, can be used to acquire popular support.
The election committe -- infamous for making its unpopular announcements at strange times of the non-business day -- promised to release the results at 6 o'clock this evening. At almost 9pm, we were informed that most of the Senate and Delegate races will require a run-off, as will the Presidential race. The two candidates proceeding forward??....The charismatic crowd-pleaser Sweet Micky? The staid Mme. Manigat? Or the establishment's darling, Jude Celestin?
Haitian elections were held on 28 November, and tonight -- after MUCH delay -- the results were announced...sort of. Predictably, there will be a run-off. With 18 candidates in the running, it was always unlikely that a majority would be attained in only one election. What was uncertain, however, was who would be in the run-off.
It seems that the election commission, in consultation with the UN, the government (or what is left of it since Parliament disbanded in May), various international community members, and other 'concerned parties', may be trying to diffuse a difficult situation. But the solution they came up with is not likely to appease the masses.
One of the front runners in this election was the notorious, charming Sweet Micky, a Haitian music star known to wear ladies' clothing at concerts, tell the government to 'fuck their mother' during a past Carnival, and generally act like a musician. While this would not seem like the best candidate to lead a country to most of us from the developed world, here in Haiti, 'Michel Joseph Martelly' was a shoo-in. No further comment or explanation needed, I imagine.
The other popular front runner was Mirlande Manigat, an educated woman in her 70s who helped craft the constitution that was established after the Duvaliers were kicked out in '86. Her husband was President for less than a year in the late 80s before being ousted. She is generally perceived as being a reasonable, informed person who is most likely among the competitors to be an effective leader at this critical moment. Notice I said 'most likely among the competitors.'
The third front runner was only such because he was the hand-selected candidate of the current (deeply unpopular) Presidential administration. This candidate, Jude Celestin, spent an obscene amount of money on campaign ads so farcical they bordered on offensive. (For example, he protested that during the cholera outbreak, candidates were still running their ads, saying it was unfeeling to keep focus on the elections instead of on the current crisis. His ads, naturally, continued running, to which he responded, 'Well, I can't stop the radio stations.' I picture a non-commital shrug accompanying that statement, but I think that's just in my head.) This person, unsurprisingly, did not have much popular support, but he did have a lot of *financial* backing, which in Haiti, can be used to acquire popular support.
The election committe -- infamous for making its unpopular announcements at strange times of the non-business day -- promised to release the results at 6 o'clock this evening. At almost 9pm, we were informed that most of the Senate and Delegate races will require a run-off, as will the Presidential race. The two candidates proceeding forward??....The charismatic crowd-pleaser Sweet Micky? The staid Mme. Manigat? Or the establishment's darling, Jude Celestin?
It seems Mme. Manigat came out on top with just over 31% of the vote. Not too shabby, really, considering the number of people in the running.
Sweet Micky recevied just under 22%.
Jude Celestin reportedly received 22.4%. Which means that he and Mme. Manigat will proceed to the run-off, leaving Sweet Micky out of the running by a margin of less than one percentage point.
Which seems awfully convenient AND leaves a large, vocal, already-agitated populace without their chosen hero.
Hence the yelling in the streets at 1130 at night.
So we'll see what goes on. We're on lockdown tomorrow 'just in case', but in any case, our neighborhood is the safest place in the city to be, as there are important members of every possible contingent living here (alleged gun runners, drug dealers, bigwigs from the Haitian National Police, UN police, State Dept. and USAID higher-ups, etc.), so everyone has a reason not to come around here.
Could be interesting. Of course, it could also end up being nothing. C'est la vie en Haiti.
So we'll see what goes on. We're on lockdown tomorrow 'just in case', but in any case, our neighborhood is the safest place in the city to be, as there are important members of every possible contingent living here (alleged gun runners, drug dealers, bigwigs from the Haitian National Police, UN police, State Dept. and USAID higher-ups, etc.), so everyone has a reason not to come around here.
Could be interesting. Of course, it could also end up being nothing. C'est la vie en Haiti.
