The post-disaster assessment on the feasibility of organizing free and fair elections in Haiti was conducted by the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) in March and April 2010. The assessment aimed to evaluate the current state of the electoral registry, the needs and challenges facing the Haitian Provisional Electoral Council (CEP), and the decentralized Departmental and Communal Electoral Offices (BEDs and BECs) in the future organization of elections.
The IFES team, consisting of the Chief of Party, one national consultant, and one international legal expert, spent two weeks in country gathering information from stakeholders, including civil society, governmental authorities, and decentralized offices of the CEP. The team conducted 99 interviews, which revealed that most stakeholders believed elections should take place to replace elected officials, but they were adamant that elections should not be held for the sake of elections.
The main concerns raised by stakeholders included the lack of credibility and trust in the CEP, poor representation and representativeness of political parties, lack of understanding and information of the electorate in governance and the electoral process, organization of general elections considering the electorate’s high level of illiteracy, and the need to assist the population in improving their current humanitarian situation to increase their motivation and avoid manipulation.
According to the Constitution, there are no provisions for the extension of the term of any of the elected posts. The term of office of the President expires on February 7, 2011, the local officials’ term in early 2011, and those of the members of the House of Representatives and the Senators elected for 4 years expire on May 8, 2010. Therefore, the CEP faces the daunting task of organizing elections for all elected posts before the end of the year.
IFES developed three possible scenarios for organizing elections, which are deemed technically possible. Scenario A involves national and local elections at the same time before the end of the year. Scenario B involves presidential, legislative, Municipal Council, and town delegate elections together before the end of the year, with Assembly of the Communal Section (ASEC) and Council of the Communal Section (CASEC) elections as soon as possible in 2011. Scenario C involves presidential and legislative elections together before the end of the year, followed by Municipal Council, town delegate, ASEC, and CASEC elections as soon as possible in 2011.
IFES believes that Scenario C is the most reasonable, feasible, and logical option for the following reasons: it would ensure the participation of the electorate in both elections, separate the two-round national elections from the one-round local elections, give more time for displaced people to decide whether they will stay permanently in their new location or go back to their place of origin, and allow for the possible adoption of amendments to the Constitution at the 1st session of the 49th legislature, thus possibly simplifying the organization of the local elections.
The operational branch of the CEP is technically capable of organizing any of the three scenarios mentioned above, assuming their preparations are not delayed any longer, and the following problems and issues are addressed and solved: the lack of credibility and trust in the current Provisional Electoral Council, financial resources, and the production and distribution of National Identification Cards (CINs).