The Republic of Haiti

Background

• Area: 27,750 square kilometers• Population 8.5 million

– Density: 302 per square kilometer– 95% African descent – Remainder mixed Caucasian-African– Speak Creole; official language is French

• GDP 4.3 billion• Government: Republic

– Legislative, executive, judicial

• Independence: 1804

Political History

• Spain colonized Hispaniola– A key island in various colonial efforts to control Caribbean

(Spanish, French, British)

• African slaves imported to replace Taino– Sugar cane plantation economy evolves– 1791 slave rebellion – Toussaint L’Overture (against French) –

launches long term war of attrition.

• 1804, independence from France – renamed Haiti– Haitian independence credited with convincing Napoleon to sell

Louisiana to USA– Haiti second oldest Republic in Western Hemisphere– Oldest Black Republic

Political History

• 1804-1820s– Period of political re-organization of Hispaniola– 1844, Dominican Republic (Santo Domingo) breaks

away from Haiti.

• 1843-1915– 22 changes of government, intense political and

economic disorder

• 1915-1934: U.S. military occupation– Prompted by instability

Duvalier Dictatorship

• 1957-1986

• Military Dictatorship – family

• 1986-1991 Haiti ruled by a series of provisional governments– Period of conflict including political murders

and random violence– Elections scheduled for November 29, 1987

were marred by political massacres witnessed by members of the international media

US Aid – CIA funding?• 1987 massacres caused the White House

to withdraw funding to the government.• CIA continued to contribute approximately

$1 Million annually in equipment, training and financial support to the military– Mixed message? Anti-civilian pro military?– An overt military dictatorship declared– New elections in January 1988

• Leslie Manigat “selected president”

• General Namphy exiles him June 1988 – declares self president

September 11, 1988• Aristide celebrating morning mass

– Saint-Jean Bosco Church– Armed gang approaches church and kills

congregants, stripped church of valuables and burned it.

– General Namphy is overthrown days later.

• Aristide is told by church officials he is to be transferred abroad

• Haitians organize to prevent his departure

• Aristide is expelled from his order

1991-1996

• Jean Bertrand-Aristide– 67% of the vote (12/1990)– Roman Catholic Priest– Overthrown in September (1991)– Army coup/elite alliance

• Governs until 1993• International efforts to promote transition to democracy fail –

military refuses to step down• 1994 UN adopts resolution 940 – authorizes member states

to use all resources to facilitate the capture of military leadership and restore democracy.

1994

• Clinton administration threatens military invasion• Dispatches negotiation team led by Jimmy Carter

– General Raoul Cedras agrees to accept the intervention of the multinational force

– September 19, 1994 MNF arrives (21,000)– October 1994 military leaders and families departed for exile.

• 1995 elections held– Pro-Aristide coalition (Lavalas Political Organization, OPL) wins

all levels of government– Feb 96 term ends, barred from re-election, Aristide agrees to

presidential election 12/1995– Aristide ally, Rene Preval wins 88% of the vote– 1996, Feb 7th Preval sworn in (5 year term)– 1st transition between democratically elected officials

1996-2000 Gridlock

• Aristide breaks with OPL coalition• Creates new party - Lavalas Family• April 1997 elections – (1/3 Senate, majority of

parliament, local officials)– Fraud– 5% participation rate– Not certified by international observers as free and fair– Partisan conflict– Local elections scheduled for 1998 unable to be organized

• Preval dismisses incumbents with expired terms (most of the Chamber of Deputies)

• converts offices to state employee status and appoints individuals to these positions

• President and Prime Minister rule by decree

May 21, 2000 elections

• Elections to select officials for– Chamber of Deputies– 2/3rds Senate– Local councils– Municipal governments– Town delegates

• Multiple party candidates

• Turnout exceeds 60%

Erroneous vote counting

• Vote counting methodology to determine winners of Senate seats flawed.– FL Aristide’s new party set to sweep the election

• Domestic and international controversy ensues– CEP president fled rather than release erroneous results– OAS, CARICOM, USA exert pressure to resolve the vote

tabulation errors– International lenders refuse to extend credit (Haiti would not

delay seating new – erroneously elected – parliament.)

• Democratic Convergence– Opposition party coalition– Calls for annulment of May elections and new elections

Flawed elections, the return of the Aristide & International Involvement• Despite unresolved nature of vote count Aristide

assumes presidency Feb 7, 2001• Consequences:

– International community continues to negotiate for a political resolution

– July 2001 political violence between FL and OPL breaks out continues to December 2001.

– Negotiations between the parties are suspended.• January 2002 – OAS Adopts Resolution 808

– Call to address political violence, stalemate, spreading human rights problems

– OAS special mission begins work in Haiti, climate continues to deteriorate

– Economic collapse – humanitarian disaster loom

Consequences…• September 4, 2002 OAS adopts resolution 822

– Calls for resolution by committing Haitian government to blueprint for restoration of security, free, fair elections

• Protest strikes, attacks on opposition by government supported gangs continue

• Nov 02- Feb 03 separation intensifies• Opposition calls for Aristide to step down spring 2003• Government forces openly attack opposition, civilians, opposition leaders

murdered.• Despite international negotiations stability deteriorates to end of 2003• January 2004 – Aristide meets with CARICOM officials

– Discussion of plan to resolve the crisis– By Feb 21 plan still not implemented– CARICOM asks for schedule– Armed anti-government groups emerge around the country taking control of

various sectors.– February 29, 2004 Aristide resigns and flees to South Africa

2004-2007

• Interim Government steps in– Following the constitution Supreme Court Justice

Boniface Alexander assumes presidency– Mandate to organize new elections– Managed to organize three rounds (with UN/OAS

assistance)– New government selected Feb 7, 2006– Rene Preval wins

• 51.15% of the electorate• In excess of 60% turnout

New Parliament

• Parliament– 30 seat Senate– 99 seat Chamber of Deputies

• Elected in two rounds – Feb and April 2006– Multiple party participation resulted in plurality

outcomes – Fusion, Union, Alyans, OPL, Famni Lavals

parties gained seats in both chambers

2006 Elections

• Rene Preval (Lespwa coalition) wins 51.5% of the “vote” – after equal distribution of blank ballots between

all candidates. – This avoided a second round. – Blank ballots were originally intended as “none

of the above”. – There were 35 candidates for the Presidency.

• Washington Post photo documentary of 2006 elections: http://blog.washingtonpost.com/haitisstruggle/