Related: Clinton Approves of Coup in Haiti
"Haiti Senate elections hurt by apathy, unrest" by Jonathan M. Katz, Associated Press | April 20, 2009
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - Armed UN soldiers, observers, and journalists far outnumbered a trickle of voters in Haiti's capital yesterday as long-delayed Senate elections were held under the threat of unrest.
The elections are seen as a key step in Haiti's return to democracy and President Rene Preval's attempts to retool the constitution and fight poverty. The vote, originally slated for late 2007, was canceled after the electoral council was dissolved amid infighting and an alleged assassination attempt on one of its members. Riots then toppled Haiti's government.
But the success of yesterday's election was threatened by voter apathy and opposition from former president Jean-Bertrand Aristide's Fanmi Lavalas party, whose candidates were disqualified by Haiti's provisional electoral council.
The legitimate and DEMOCRATICALLY-ELECTED GOVERNMENT of Haiti that was OVERTHROWN TWICE by U.S-SPONSORED COUPS!!!
The generally calm conditions were briefly interrupted in the slum of Cite Soleil when Preval's supporters clashed with backers of a rival party, accusing that party's representative of bringing money to the polls to buy votes. Meanwhile, hundreds of protesters raided polling places and dumped ballots in the streets of Mirebalais, effectively halting voting in the central plateau city, according to Radio Metropole. Authorities didn't know who was responsible.
Security forces, including 9,000 UN peacekeepers, had braced for demonstrations by Lavalas. But Lavalas supporters in Port-au-Prince spent the day campaigning to keep people from participating, promising protests only if Preval insists on considering the results legitimate.
Imagine if Americans had been so inclined in 2000 and 2004?
May not have changed much, but then again a popular revolt at the time may have sent a message.
"We are proving to the world and to people of Haiti that Lavalas is the main party in Haiti," said party loyalist Harold Gerard, adding that Preval is proceeding with elections at his peril. "If he presses on doing this election, we are going out into the streets, and it's going to be so chaotic that he is going to have to go."
Maybe that's why I haven't heard back friom the Globe, 'eh?
Preval, who was prime minister under Aristide, was elected president in 2006 with strong Lavalas backing. But Aristide's supporters now consider Preval a traitor for failing to return the ousted former president to Haiti.
Candidates were disqualified because they failed to produce documents signed by Aristide, the party's leader who was flown to exile in Africa on a US plane during a 2004 rebellion.
That's how the MSM describes the U.S. COUP?
You see why I have such issues with them now, readers?
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