The South African Civil Society Information Service
A nonprofit news agency promoting social justice. Seeking answers to the question:
How do we make democracy work for the poor?
A nonprofit news agency promoting social justice. Seeking answers to the question:
How do we make democracy work for the poor?
11 Feb 2011
As Haiti prepares for a presidential run off in March, thousands are protesting against a three month extension to outgoing president, René Préval's term.
In November 2010, Haiti held a presidential election. Mark Weisbrot, co-director of the Centre for Economic and Policy Research, an economic think tank in Washington DC, contends that the US government, using the Organisation of American States as a political instrument, forced the government of Haiti to change the results of the first round of the election, eliminating the government's candidate and leaving two right wing candidates in the race -- candidates, who, combined got about 11% of the registered voters to vote for them.
He argues that he can't see how a legitimate result can be achieved from the upcoming runoff. Three quarters of the Haitian electorate did not vote in the first round and this is partly because the most popular opposition party was arbitrarily excluded.
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