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<b>ANATOMY OF AN
ELECTORAL COUP</b>
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<p style="margin:0in 0in 10pt"><span
style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-size:11pt"><font
color="#000000">Marred
by outright fraud, massive voter suppression in the form
of intimidation, and
violence, the August 9<sup>th</sup> Haitian legislative
election was rejected
by the people of Haiti. Yet, in a cynical re-write of
history, the OAS, United
States, and European Union put their stamp of approval on
the election as a
“step forward” for democracy.</font></span></p>
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<p style="margin:0in 0in 10pt"><span
style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-size:11pt"><font
color="#000000">As
usual, the Haitian people resist. They insist on their
right to fair elections.
Angry protests across Haiti demand that the August 9th
election be
annulled.<span> </span>Haiti Action Committee fully
supports this demand.</font></span></p>
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<p style="margin:0in 0in 10pt"><font color="#000000"><i><span
style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-size:11pt">Fanmi
Lavalas</span></i><span
style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-size:11pt">,
the party of former
president Jean-Bertrand Aristide, immediately declared the
sham election “an
electoral coup,” calling for its annulment, and demanded
that a commission be
convened to investigate. Other political parties soon
joined this call. Many
candidates throughout the country have formed “candidates’
collectives” to
defend the Haitian people’s right to free and fair
elections. </span></font></p>
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<p style="margin:0in 0in 10pt"><b><span
style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-size:11pt"><font
color="#000000">Below are some
examples of the nation-wide pattern of disruption, voter
suppression and terror
that occurred during this sham election. </font></span></b></p>
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<p style="margin:0in 0in 10pt"><font color="#000000"><b><span
style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-size:11pt">THE
DECK IS STACKED</span></b><span
style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-size:11pt">:</span></font></p>
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<ul style="list-style-type:disc;direction:ltr">
<li style="font-style:normal;font-weight:normal">
<p
style="font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;margin-top:0in;margin-bottom:0pt"><span
style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-size:11pt">Poll
watcher
badges were only distributed to selected parties - PHTK,
Bouclier,
Verite, KID – all parties with close ties to Haitian
president Michel Martelly.
</span></p>
<p
style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Cambria","serif";font-size:12pt;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;margin-top:0in;margin-bottom:0pt"><span
style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-size:11pt"> </span></p>
</li>
<li
style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-size:11pt;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal">
<p
style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Cambria","serif";font-size:12pt;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;margin-top:0in;margin-bottom:0pt"><span
style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-size:11pt">Observer
badges
were distributed to fake observers, facilitating the
movement of armed
gangs between polling centers</span></p>
<p
style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Cambria","serif";font-size:12pt;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;margin-top:0in;margin-bottom:0pt"><span
style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-size:11pt"> </span></p>
</li>
<li
style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-size:11pt;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal">
<p
style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Cambria","serif";font-size:12pt;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;margin-top:0in;margin-bottom:0pt"><span
style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-size:11pt">Voters’
lists
were not posted as required by the electoral law</span></p>
<p
style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Cambria","serif";font-size:12pt;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;margin-top:0in;margin-bottom:0pt"><span
style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-size:11pt"> </span></p>
</li>
<li
style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-size:11pt;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal">
<p
style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Cambria","serif";font-size:12pt;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;margin-top:0in;margin-bottom:0pt"><span
style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-size:11pt">Sustained
gunfire
erupted nightly in areas throughout Port-au-Prince and
other major
cities leading up to the vote. This created an
atmosphere of fear and terror;
rumors of a curfew and a ban on public transportation
were circulated and never
dismissed by the authorities, causing people to stay
home.</span></p>
<p
style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Cambria","serif";font-size:12pt;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;margin-top:0in;margin-bottom:0pt"><span
style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-size:11pt"> </span></p>
</li>
<li
style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-size:11pt;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal">
<p
style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Cambria","serif";font-size:12pt;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;margin-top:0in;margin-bottom:0pt"><span
style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-size:11pt">Polling
places
were eliminated in working-class and impoverished
communities and
consolidated into difficult to access centers. Many
people did not know where
to vote, and when they did could not get there.</span></p>
<p
style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Cambria","serif";font-size:12pt;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;margin-top:0in;margin-bottom:0pt"><span
style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-size:11pt"> </span></p>
</li>
<li
style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-size:11pt;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal">
<p
style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Cambria","serif";font-size:12pt;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;margin-top:0in;margin-bottom:10pt"><span
style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-size:11pt">Crude
and
numerous errors in registered voting lists prevented
voters from <span> </span>casting their vote, and drove
them away from
the polls. </span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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<p style="margin:0in 0in 10pt"><b><span
style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-size:11pt"><font
color="#000000">DAY OF THE VOTE</font></span></b></p>
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<ul style="list-style-type:disc;direction:ltr">
<li style="font-style:normal;font-weight:normal">
<p
style="font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;margin-top:0in;margin-bottom:0pt"><span
style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-size:11pt">Poll
watchers
from PHTK, Bouclier, and Verite and KID were allowed to
enter polling
sites, while other parties were excluded. By law,
representatives of all
political parties may observe the voting process. </span></p>
<p
style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Cambria","serif";font-size:12pt;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;margin-top:0in;margin-bottom:0pt"><span
style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-size:11pt"> </span></p>
</li>
<li
style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-size:11pt;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal">
<p
style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Cambria","serif";font-size:12pt;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;margin-top:0in;margin-bottom:0pt"><span
style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-size:11pt">Polling
sites
opened late or closed early in poor and working class
communities; in
some departments, close to 50% of the electorate were
disenfranchised by sites
that were closed due to violence.</span></p>
<p
style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Cambria","serif";font-size:12pt;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;margin-top:0in;margin-bottom:0pt"><span
style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-size:11pt"> </span></p>
</li>
<li
style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-size:11pt;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal">
<p
style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Cambria","serif";font-size:12pt;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;margin-top:0in;margin-bottom:0pt"><span
style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-size:11pt">Throughout
the
day, Radio Timoun, affiliated with the Aristide
Foundation For Democracy,
and other radio stations throughout the country
broadcast testimony from
Haitians who called in to report ballot stuffing,
destruction of ballots, armed
groups trashing polling sites, and people beaten and
killed. </span></p>
<p
style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Cambria","serif";font-size:12pt;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;margin-top:0in;margin-bottom:0pt"><b><span
style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-size:11pt"> </span></b></p>
</li>
<li
style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-size:11pt;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal">
<p
style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Cambria","serif";font-size:12pt;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;margin-top:0in;margin-bottom:0pt"><span
style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-size:11pt">Journalists
and
election observers photographed ballots tossed or stolen
at multiple sites.</span></p>
<p
style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Cambria","serif";font-size:12pt;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;margin-top:0in;margin-bottom:0pt"><span
style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-size:11pt"> </span></p>
</li>
<li
style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-size:11pt;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal">
<p
style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Cambria","serif";font-size:12pt;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;margin-top:0in;margin-bottom:0pt"><span
style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-size:11pt">Duly
certified
election officials were suddenly removed and replaced by
Martelly
operatives at numerous polling sites.</span></p>
<p
style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Cambria","serif";font-size:12pt;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;margin-top:0in;margin-bottom:0pt"><span
style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-size:11pt"> </span></p>
</li>
<li
style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-size:11pt;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal">
<p
style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Cambria","serif";font-size:12pt;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;margin-top:0in;margin-bottom:10pt"><span
style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-size:11pt">Armed
groups
of men carrying assault rifles were allowed into polling
stations by
complicit police and electoral council staff.
Photographs show some wearing the
t-shirts of Martelly’s PHTK party. Haitian National
Police were reported to
stand by while ballots were destroyed, sites were
trashed and ballots stuffed.
The UN was nowhere to be seen.</span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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<p style="margin:0in 0in 10pt"><b><span
style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-size:11pt"><font
color="#000000">RESULTS – THE FIX IS
IN:</font></span></b></p>
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<ul style="list-style-type:disc;direction:ltr">
<li style="font-style:normal;font-weight:normal">
<p
style="font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;margin-top:0in;margin-bottom:0pt"><span
style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-size:11pt">Candidates
of
three parties allied with Martelly – PHTK, Bouclier and
Verite - head the
list of first-round winners for the legislature.</span></p>
<p
style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Cambria","serif";font-size:12pt;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;margin-top:0in;margin-bottom:0pt"><span
style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-size:11pt"> </span></p>
</li>
<li
style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-size:11pt;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal">
<p
style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Cambria","serif";font-size:12pt;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;margin-top:0in;margin-bottom:0pt"><span
style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-size:11pt">Voter
suppression
was evidenced in extremely low turnout across the
country,
especially in the West - Haiti’s largest department,
representing 41% of
electorate – where violence and closure of voting sites
were high.</span></p>
<p
style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Cambria","serif";font-size:12pt;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;margin-top:0in;margin-bottom:0pt"><span
style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-size:11pt"> </span></p>
</li>
<li
style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-size:11pt;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal">
<p
style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Cambria","serif";font-size:12pt;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;margin-top:0in;margin-bottom:10pt"><span
style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-size:11pt">Figures
indicate
Haiti’s electoral council, the CEP, did not tabulate
close to 25% of
the votes for Senate and almost 23% of the votes for
Deputy. </span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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<p style="margin:0in 0in 10pt"><font color="#000000"><b><span
style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-size:11pt">NO!
TO STOLEN
ELECTIONS</span></b><span
style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-size:11pt"></span></font></p>
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<p style="margin:0in 0in 10pt"><span
style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-size:11pt"><font
color="#000000">CEP
President Opont defended the elections, saying “These are
the realities of the
vote in Haiti,” and “Acts of violence are a feature of
elections.” These false
and belittling characterizations disguise the perpetrators
of the violence.
These were not random acts– this was systematic
government-sponsored violence
throughout the country bearing all the features of
paramilitary actions
reminiscent of Haiti under dictatorship. </font></span></p>
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<p style="margin:0in 0in 10pt"><span
style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-size:11pt"><font
color="#000000">Fifteen
years ago, free and fair elections brought President
Aristide and <i>Fanmi Lavalas</i> to power on a platform
of
social and economic reform to benefit Haiti’s people. That
vote was negated by
the 2004 coup led by the US, France and Canada. Now these
same powers, the OAS,
and the UN are cheering on the Martelly government as the
“electoral coup” of
August 9<sup>th</sup> is consolidated. </font></span></p>
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<p style="margin:0in 0in 10pt"><span
style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-size:11pt"><font
color="#000000">This
is a moment that demands our solidarity. Haitians are
reminded of a similar
moment in the early years of dictatorship under Francois
Duvalier.<span> </span>It has to stop now.<span> </span>We
can echo the voices of Haitians protesting
stolen elections and pre-determined outcomes. We can
override the media embargo
on what’s happening in Haiti, get the word out, and stand
with Haiti’s popular
movement to demand justice and change.<span> </span></font></span></p>
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<p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><span
style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-size:11pt"><font
color="#000000">Sent
by Haiti Action Committee</font></span></p>
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<p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><span
style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-size:11pt"><font
color="#000000"><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.haitisolidarity.net">www.haitisolidarity.net</a>
and on FACEBOOK</font></span></p>
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<p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><span
style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-size:11pt"><font
color="#000000"> </font></span></p>
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