FYI: Aristide is Coming Back (Eventually)

Last week Jean Bertrand Aristide’s American lawyer, Ira Kurzban, confirmed that Haiti had issued his client a diplomatic passport, effectively ending the deposed leader’s exile from this country. (here’s a dated article)  He’s probably not coming this week, but it’s pretty much an inevitability that he will be back in Haiti soon. It’s a tough [...]

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Haitian Police Fire Tear Gas Into Tent Camps as Protesters Call for Preval to Step Down

Haitians took to the streets in front of the Presidential Palace today calling for President Rene Preval to step down, and for a new government to take control, but were faced with riot police and tear gas canisters.  The protests began because, according to the constitution here, today (February 7th) is the day that Preval [...]

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Waiting in the Wings

While waiting 10 and a half hours last night (yes, 10.5 hours) at the CEP for the final results of the election to be released, sometimes the only thing you can do is lay back and relax.  The makeshift briefing room prepared for the announcement was filled with journalists who eventually turned the space into [...]

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TODAY: Haiti Prepares for Final Election Results, Runoff Candidates

Almost two months after the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) announced the preliminary results of the Haiti’s November elections, the CEP is planning on announcing the final results today.  The biggest question is who will be included in the March 20th run-off.  A couple of factors have muddied this situation considerably, so here’s a quick breakdown: [...]

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Praying For Change

A man looks to the skies while protesting the results of the November 28th elections in front of the presidential palace. Today is Sunday, which means most Haitians are in church.  Instead of the chants of political protesters, you hear the chants of churches filled with songs and prayer, which is a nice change of [...]

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CEP Anounces Vote Recount as Protests in PAP Continue

Port-au-Prince is still on lock-down after thousands of protesters took to the streets for a second day contesting the results of Haiti’s November 28th elections.  “If they don’t make Martelly president by the end of today,” one protester explained while following a group marching through the streets of Petionville, “then we will burn the city [...]

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Riots Cripple Port-au-Prince As UN Troops Fight Protesters With Force

Tens of thousands of protesters flooded the streets of Port-au-Prince Wednesday, leaving the city crippled after the results of the November 28th presidential elections were announce late Tuesday night.  The protesters, many of which were supporters of Michel Martelly who was left out of the country’s January 16th second-round run-off, erected roadblocks at practically every [...]

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Peek-a-Boo

Unfortunately, the elections on Sunday were a spectator sport for most Haitians.  These kids peeked a view at a protest supporting Michel Martelly as it marched by their house in Village Solidarite.  The campaign posters plastered to the wall are EVERYWHERE in the city, covering every flat surface that campaign workers could find.  Now we [...]

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Wyclef Jean Sings His Chance to be President of Haiti Into Oblivion

(Photo by Ben Depp – www.bendepp.com) Just over a week ago, Wyclef Jean was denied the chance to run for President of Haiti by the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) because he hasn’t lived in Haiti for the past five-years consecutively, a clear constitutional requirement.  Wyclef conceded defeat the next day, writing a letter accepting the [...]

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Un-shocking News: Wyclef Jean is Not Eligible to Run for President of Haiti!

As you probably already know, Wyclef Jean was deemed not eligible to run for President of Haiti yesterday by the country’s electoral council (the CEP), a decision that everyone pretty much already saw coming.  In an effort to stop violent protests from starting after the announcement, and also to make the members of the council [...]

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