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Election in Haiti part IV
Thursday morning 2.30 am. I am woken up by an increasing hubbub from a crowd passing by. My mobile rings. Surprised by this nocturnal call I pick up the phone. A member of our youths’ organisation calls to tell me that Preval has been announced to be the winner of the elections. So that is the reason why the streets are getting full of people. Dancing and people shouting with joy are on the streets, happy because their wish has finally been respected.
Yesterday, Wednesday, it was a calm day altogether, with some manifestations. Little traffic and closed school gates. No roadblocks any more, but a paralysed city. . In the afternoon, I went to the volleyball training with a group of our players. Passing by the palace, I noted a crowd of quiet demonstrating people.
The discovery of the dumped ballot papers; cause a lot of fuss. At first, the electoral counsel tried to pretend that it concerned unused ballot letters but when this was not perishable they tried to blame the MINUSTAH (blue helmets). The MINUSTAH was contractually responsible that all the ballot letters were sealed in containers until after the publication of the final results. A spokesman of the MINUSTAH tried to give an explanation giving the impression 9 polling stations in the South of Haiti had been plundered, a statement, which made no sense at all. Meanwhile, it becomes more and more clear that indeed, a serious fraud was committed and that MINUSTAH interfere in the politics, in service of ????
The consequence of all this was that the population started to demonstrate with more and more conviction. People feared that the country would become completely chaotic. However, the conspiracy was discovered and the result is known. There is no escape: Preval will be the winner in the first round with 51,7 % of all votes effectuated.
I suppose that life will become normal again as from today. It is a fact that, since the day of the elections and the first expectations that Preval would win convincingly, there are no messages any more of kidnapping near of car thefts. People from Cité Soleil declared that many of these things only happen as self-defense against the performance of the transitional government of Latortue.
Will the gate to the democracy finally open for Haiti? We can only hope that, with the new regime under the leadership of the popular Preval, under the banner of LESPWA (= hope).
With hopeful greetings from Haiti.
Jan Hoet
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