The Republic of Haiti
Background
• Area: 27,750 square kilometers
• Population 8.5 million
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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
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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)
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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…
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September 4, 2002 OAS adopts resolution 822
– Calls for resolution by committing Haitian government to blueprint for restoration
of security, free, fair elections
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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
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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/