Highlights
-UN Security Council renews MINUSTAH mandate
-Financial fraud and criminal activity delay November elections
-Political instability to continue
In February 2004, an armed rebellion ousted then President Jean-Bertrand Aristide from power in Haiti. Soon after, an interim government, mandated by the United Nations (UN), took power with the goal of organizing new elections. Continued violence and technical delays prompted repeated postponements until May 2006 when Haiti finally inaugurated a democratically elected president (René Préval) and parliament.
Since, the Préval government along with the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), have barely kept civil order in Haiti. The resulting synergy of criminal and political violence, combined with the emergence of organized criminal gangs and increased drug trafficking have led to increased instability throughout the nation, notably in the capital, Port-au-Prince (Previous Report).
The UN’s Saving Grace
On October 15, 2007, the UN Security Council (UNSC) extended MINUSTAH’s mandate for one year, until October 15, 2008, while endorsing UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s recommendations to reconfigure UN troop deployment. As such, MINUSTAH will begin a program to strengthen the country’s borders against arms and drugs smuggling—two contributing problems driving Haiti’s instability.
The recommended 7,060 UN peacekeepers will establish patrols along the 1,600-mile coastline and on Haiti’s land border with the Dominican Republic. These patrols will detect and seize drugs prior to entering Haiti, as well as any illegal contraband found transiting through the nation.
This renewed commitment by the UN is imperative if Haitian authorities are to have a chance at holding the chaotic nation together (Previous Report). In addition, the government needs to revitalize the torn political system, stimulate economic development, and build infrastructure, as success will not only depend on the suppression of drugs and violence but on rebuilding of the state.
MINUSTAH should be able to create and sustain the necessary backdrop of decreased crime and drug trafficking and therefore increased security, but the development of the nation rests on the ability of the nation’s leadership to overcome its political struggles and develop the social and economic infrastructure to allow for sustained growth in Haiti.
That task, however, has proven to be equally as difficult as quelling increased crime and violence.
The Politically Unstable Road
Eleven of thirty Senate seats (one because a senator was killed in an accident this year), were supposed to be up for election in November 2007. Much weight had been placed on these elections considering they were the first Senatorial elections since President Préval’s election in 2006.
However, because of allegations of financial fraud and criminal activity within the nation’s Provisional Electoral Council, the elections—planned for November 25th with a second round on December 2nd—are now postponed indefinitely.
Haitian political leaders have previously accused the Council of permitting ballot irregularities, while simultaneously engaging in their own abuses of power. Conflict within the Council peaked when two members accused council President Max Mathurin, Secretary-General Rosemond Pradel, and Treasurer Francois Benoit of embezzling an undisclosed amount of money for personal use and of trying to have other council members killed.
This political infighting has prompted calls from both the parliament and President Préval’s administration for a complete revamping of the feuding election panel and replacement of some if not all of its members.
It remains unclear how the election delay will impact the daily operations of the Senate that possesses the power to dismiss the country’s prime minister and members of the Cabinet. What is clear is that because of the delay, it will not be possible for new senators to take office by the January 14, 2008 deadline set in the constitution. The fate of the current Provisional Electoral Council resides, for the time being, in the hands of President Préval. All the while, political uncertainty continues to plague the Haitian state.
A Dire Look Forward
Without political stability there is little hope for the institutional development needed to provide Haiti with forward momentum. The UN peacekeepers will likely continue to increase security throughout the nation at a slow pace. However, without sufficient political gains, and faced with substandard infrastructure, a deteriorated economy, and extreme poverty Haiti’s growth will continue to be constrained over the long-term.