The Bizarre World of Haitian Elections Observing

In case you weren't aware, Haiti is holding important national elections on November 28^th.

While there are many places you can discover more about the serious deficiencies with preparations for elections thus far, this post isn't focusing on the big picture. Instead, we'll bring the scale of analysis down to a single event.

Last Thursday, I had the experience of attending an information session hosted by the country's Provisional Electoral Council. Since I'm no Francophone I don't want to pass judgment on the content presented because. I can only speak to my impressions of the meeting as it unfolded.

The event was held at the Karibe, one of Haiti's most luxurious hotels that caters to businesses, NGOs and the government for conference events. As we entered, we were greeted by 15 female attendants (I counted) posted at every entrance. One helped me pin on my name tag to my chest—I'm pretty sure most participants, including myself, did not require this treatment.

The event had a carefully detailed agenda, down to five minute increments (for example, "9:05: the national anthem will be played"). We arrived before 9am. The event, which boasted the attendance of news teams, foreign elections observers, Haitian senators and deputies, members of civil society and presidential candidates, did not start in earnest until past 10am. I counted approximately 250 seats in the room. A small fraction of them were occupied at the purported start time.

During the course of the meeting, they screened a dramatized 20 minute public service announcement about the importance of voting. The most ignominious moment: when the theme song played over the end credits was an excerpt of presidential candidate Jude Celestin's catchy campaign song. Celestin happens to be the current president's hand-picked successor, and the use of his song in a film funded by USAID only seemed to confirm conspiracy theories about the U.S. pushing certain candidates (namely Celestin) and the use of government funds to support his campaign.

Questions were entertained by the Council's nine members and an apparent spokesman. It continues to baffle that the entire event was conducted in French where only 10-15% of the Haitian citizenry speak the language. The content of the presentation was surely relevant to the electorate, but the message to the non-French speaking majority was "you're not important enough to merit translation."

And finally, after the self-congratulatory finish to the event marked by hearty hand-shaking and big smiles, everyone retired to enjoy a buffet lunch that would cost on the order of $30 a plate in a restaurant.

Based on appearances, the event was a spectacle intended first to placate foreign critics and please an international audience. At its worst, it showed the flippancy of the government towards the needs and interests of the poor, only confirming fears about what's in store on the 28th.

Many thanks to international donor governments for donating the $30 million to make these elections (and meetings like this one) happen -- I got a great lunch out of the deal.