UN Security Council heads to Haiti amid political instability

Saturday, January 24, 2015

Representatives of the United Nations Security Council's (UNSC) fifteen member states flew to Haiti yesterday. The nation is moving to hold new elections with President Michel Martelly presently ruling by decree.

Martelly swore in a new Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) of nine members yesterday. It is Martelly's fifth CEP in four years. Last month a presidential commission recommended the prior CEP's resignation as part of a package of measures to move the country towards new elections. The commission was Martelly's response to widespread anti-regime protests that started in October. The sometimes-violent protests were triggered by failure to hold elections, some due since 2011.

On January 12 the Senate was reduced to a defunct ten members, with sixteen required for a quorum. Amendments to electoral law were required by the Senate before elections due in 2011 could be held. Rival political factions were unable to resolve disagreements. The lower level of parliament, the Chamber of Deputies, also saw all 99 seats vacated.

Also due are municipal elections, with 4,000 local posts needing refilled. A presidential election is due this year and the constitution forbids a consecutive term for Martelly. CEP members were sworn in yesterday at the Supreme Court; the presidential commission also recommended a new head for the court.

This month Martelly installed a new cabinet including opposition members, amongst them appointing Evans Paul as Prime Minister. Paul replaces Laurent Lamothe who resigned last month at the request of Martelly's commission. Paul was yesterday joined by foreign diplomats to welcome the new CEP in Petionville, the CEP headquarters.

Protests continued around the nation yesterday, with anger directed at foreign leaders who have supported Martelly as well as the local regime. Brazil, Canada, France, Spain, the United States, the European Union, and the Organization of American States expressed in a joint statement "support to the president of the republic in the exercise of his constitutional duty to ensure the regular functioning of institutions and the continuity of the state" as parliament's terms lapsed and power passed to Martelly alone.

The UN is unpopular in Haiti where many blame their peacekeeping force for a 2010 cholera outbreak, which is ongoing with 9,000 deaths. The UN has extended the peacekeeping mission for another year but does plan to reduce troops from around 5,000 to around 2,400. Anti-peacekeeper protests have also focussed on sexual abuse allegations.

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Related news

"Laurent Lamothe resigns as Haitian PM" — Wikinews, December 15, 2014

Sources

Jacqueline Charles. "Haiti installs new electoral board hours before U.N. Security Council delegation arrives" — The Miami Herald, January 23, 2014
AP. "UN Security Council Members Arrive in Haiti for 3-Day Visit" — ABC News, January 23, 2014
Benedict Moran. "International leaders battle perception of bias in Haiti" — al-Jazeera America, January 23, 2014

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