CBC Reports on a Day of Protest and on Reaction in Canadian Parliament
CHIP News Service, Wed. December 8, 2010
This evening, the election on Haiti was the lead item on CBC Radio One national news, The World At Six, and on the radio newsmagazine As It Happens.
On The World At Six, reporter Connie Watson reported on the widespread protests in Haiti against the election result announced yesterday by the CEP. Her report was preceded by the news broadcaster stating that Haiti has “exploded into election violence,” but the only violence to persons mentioned by Watson was the use of ammunition and tear gas by UN troops against protesters. She said there were reports of two protesters being killed. She also reported the presence of UN tanks and helicopters in the streets and overhead in Port au Prince, and the burning of the headquarters of the Inité Party of candidate Jude Celestin.
“They stole this election from us, from the people,” she reports from one protester. “United Nations (MINUSTAH) is the one causing all of this trouble,” she cites another.
Watson reported that the foreign powers in Haiti “reluctantly” backed the vote of November 28, admitting it was seriously flawed, “but not enough to call an end to the process. Now with violent demonstrations in every city in the country, the question is, where does Haiti go from here?” You can listen to her report for the next 24 hours at, http://www.cbc.ca/w6/.
In a second story, the broadcast cited Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon echoing the statement of the U.S. embassy in Haiti issued yesterday. “We are extremely worried regarding the irregularities…” The Canadian embassy is reporting as telling President Rene Preval to “do something” to bring legitimacy to the November 28 vote. If nothing is done to “better the situation,” Cannon says, “That would place Canada in a very difficult position to recognize the outcome of this election.”
The reporter said neither Cannon nor the opposition parties in Parliament are saying much about what they think is required to resolve the political crisis in Haiti. Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff repeated his call to send a “mission” to Haiti to figure out “how Canada can help,” presumably meaning its present mission, namely its embassy and staff in Port au Prince, are “helping.” The NDP’s Paul Dewar says all the presidential candidates in Haiti should get together and come to agreement on what to do. “Are the grievances of the third candidate and others sufficient enough to say, ‘Look, having a runoff is only going to mean further violence?’” In other words, the grievances of parties who were excluded from the ballot and those voters who were excluded from voting on November 28 is not yet enough for Paul Dewar and the NDP to call this election into doubt.
As It Happens spoke to a young Haitian woman who grew up in the U.S. but has moved to Haiti. She said that the U.S. embassy’s announcement yesterday has had the effect of calming demonstrations. But she said there is “no way” the Haitian people will accept the result announced by the CEP. She thinks a three-way runoff for the presidency to include Michel Martelly would bring legitimacy to the process in the eyes of protesters.
CBC television news this evening began its report with, “In truth it’s just what everyone predicted…Not quite a post-election party. But, say Haitians, that wasn’t quite an election.” Alexander Main of the CEPR was interviewed very briefly in Washington by reporter Paul Hunter. He said, “It’s now time for the international actors that we so eager to carry out these election…to begin listening to the Haitian people.”
Tomorrow morning’s edition of CBC Radio One’s The Current will include a half hour story on Haiti.
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Bloc quebecois and NDP MP's Speak on Haiti
By CHIP News Service, Thursday, December 9, 2010
This morning, a Bloc Quebecois Member of the Canadian Parliament, Benoit Charette, spoke to CBC Radio One's The Current. He was in Haiti as an election observer with the Francophonie organization. Charette acknowledged that "many Haitians" were unable to vote on November 28, including "many" who registered to vote yet could not find a polling station that would recognize their registration and allow them to vote. As to whether there was an organized fraud in the election, Charette said, "It was difficult for us to talk about fraud, because when you talk about fraud you are talking about organization..."
Charette acknowledged that Haiti's constitution does not allow for the solution being tossed around to resolve the election crisis, namely a second round, presidential runoff vote that would include more than two candidates, notably Michel Martelly. "We have to do something because the riots are becoming more and more important. The people are left with the impression that the government is trying to hang onto power... For many people, Mr. Celestin and Mme. Manigat represent the same establishment, so we cannot leave the people with this impression. Otherwise, we won't have the possibility to have a legitimate government."
"The CEP must do something...It must find a way to give meaning to a second round vote."
When asked if the second round vote should proceed, Charette replied, "We have a week to find a solution. We have a week to give legitimacy to these results. This means, maybe, Mr. Celestin will have to back off."
The program host played a portion of an interview with Nicole Phillips of the IJDH that aired two days ago on the Current in which she said the only way to return credibility to Haiti's electoral process is to cancel the November 28 vote and hold a new election, presided by a new electoral commission. Charette replied that he did not agree; he suggested that a replacement vote could be held in the areas of the country where exclusion of voters was highest, and that all ballots could be recounted by "impartial" observers.
As reported yesterday to this mail list, MP Paul Dewar told CBC television news on December 8 that a runoff election should take place only if the concerns of protesters in the streets were heeded. He mused that permitting a "third candidate" on the runoff ballot might appease popular anger. Below is a statement he released on November 29. It has only just come to our attention. The statement appears on his website, not the federal NDP website.
MP Paul Dewar statement on the Haiti election, November 29, 2010
Paul Dewar is the member of Parliament for Ottawa Center and the Foreign Affairs Critic of the New Democratic Party
http://www.pauldewar.ca/en/media/articles/267-haitis-crisis-requires-stronger-canadian-response.html
Haiti’s post earthquake woes are now exacerbated by a massive outbreak of cholera and a questionable election process. Haitians’ frustrations could manifest in violence and further destabilization of the country. This is an emergency which requires a much stronger response from countries like Canada.
Canadians made a commitment to the people of Haiti that we would be with them for the long haul. We made generous donations to see a quick recovery for Haiti. But the government is still sitting on two-thirds of that money and its response to the cholera crisis has been lacklustre.
Canada must play a coordinating role in the international response to the current crisis. According to the United Nations, as many as 400,000 people could contract cholera over the next 12 months; over half of those cases occurring in the next 3 months.
Canadian organizations on the ground tell us that the immediate needs include:
* An aggressive public education campaign to raise awareness, counter myths and prevent contagion;
* The speedy distribution of water purification tablets and soap;
* Setting up Cholera Treatment Centres and training of workers to staff them; and
* The safe and humane transport of the dead, ensuring a proper funeral.
These are simple solutions that can save thousands of lives.
In the medium term there needs to be a move to build housing for the 1.6 million people living in precarious conditions in 1,300 displacement camps. It is important to establish a clean and reliable water system.
In the long run, our focus should be on institution building with an emphasis on civil society, justice and strengthening woman's participation. No longer should Haitians’ democratic ambitions be dampened by an electoral process that limits participation and is open to abuse.
We made a commitment to Haitians. Don’t let Haiti fall off the radar.