HAITI-ELECTIONS/PROTEST Unclear legislative election results causes political turmoil as candidates reject official tallies
Record ID:
142313
HAITI-ELECTIONS/PROTEST Unclear legislative election results causes political turmoil as candidates reject official tallies
- Title: HAITI-ELECTIONS/PROTEST Unclear legislative election results causes political turmoil as candidates reject official tallies
- Date: 27th August 2015
- Summary: PETION-VILLE, HAITI (AUGUST 27, 2015) (REUTERS) ****WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** VARIOUS OF HAITIAN POLICE GUARDING STREET BY COURT FOR HEARING OF CONTESTED CANDIDATES OF AUGUST 9 LEGISLATIVE ELECTIONS VARIOUS OF ONE OF THREE SMALL COURTROOMS USED IN THE HEARINGS (SOUNDBITE) (French) PETION-VILLE DEPUTY CANDIDATE, JERRY TARDIEU, SAYING: "The CEP gave me 30 percent and have the candidate that followed me 7 percent. We have contested that result because we earned more votes. My lawyer will speak and also will provide documents to support our case, Honourable Judge. In the name of justice in my country and respect of citizens, whatever their level, their colour and where they are from, we are going to respect them." VARIOUS OF DISTURBANCE INSIDE COURTROOM WHICH INTERRUPTED HEARING AS CANDIDATES DISPUTE RESULTS VARIOUS OF DEPUTY CANDIDATE VILSAINT JACQUES ON THE GROUND OUTSIDE THE HEARING AFTER BEING TAKEN FROM COURTROOM AND ALLEGEDLY BEATEN UP BY HAITIAN SPECIAL SECURITY FORCES (SOUNDBITE) (French) MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENCE NETWORK (RNDDH) MARIE YOLENE GILLES, SAYING: "We are here to witness what is going on in order to produce documentation. As I said, I am very sad to see the hearing is still going on while somebody is lying on the ground, not just anybody, but a candidate. The atmosphere is not favourable, the condition is not good for you or for anybody as people walk back and forth while someone is still on the floor. We don't know whether he will die or not, as you see in the picture there is liquid coming out of his mouth." VARIOUS OF AMBULANCE TRANSPORTING VILSAINT JACQUES
- Embargoed: 11th September 2015 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Haiti
- Country: Haiti
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA8OF3TDUSB0N8ULYHZBABKM8UZ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Candidates for political office contest election results Thursday (August 27) as officials prepare for a re-run in some areas after violence and voter intimidation disrupted elections earlier this month.
In a crowded room filled with candidates contesting the results in Petion-Ville, Deputy Candidate Jerry Tardieu said he earned more votes.
"The CEP gave me 30 percent and have the candidate that followed me 7 percent. We have contested that result because we earned more votes. My lawyer will speak and also will provide documents to support our case," he said.
Other disgruntled candidates who rose up and voiced their disagreement with the tally were physically thrown from the courtroom by police.
Deputy candidate Vilsaint Jacques was one of them and after the commotion he was taken to hospital on a stretcher and appeared to have been injured.
"We are here to witness what is going on in order to produce documentation. As I said, I am very sad to see the hearing is still going on while somebody is lying on the ground, not just anybody, but a candidate," said Marie Yolene Gilles a member of the National Human Rights Defence Network.
"The atmosphere is not favourable, the condition is not good for you or for anybody as people walk back and forth while someone is still on the floor. We don't know whether he will die or not, as you see in the picture there is liquid coming out of his mouth," she stated.
Both the repeat voting and run-off elections for most parliamentary seats will be held on Oct. 25.
The electoral body announced it will re-run voting in the 25 voting centres or polling stations - out of a total 1,508 - that saw massive irregularities.
The government said 5 percent of voting stations were shut down on election day, mostly due to violence and intimidation by official party observers.
Voting is done on a constituency basis in Haiti so officials allowed some results to stand.
Haiti's parliament dissolved in January after scheduled legislative elections in 2011 and 2014 were cancelled.
There were no outright winners in voting for the Senate, meaning there will be run-off elections for 20 seats, according to official results posted on Friday (August 21) . There will be also be run-off elections in all but five of the 119 races for seats in the lower Chamber of Deputies.
Parties are allowed to send representatives to polling stations to monitor the tally. In this month's election, many complained they never received accreditation, while some voters said they were intimidated by aggressive party representatives.
CEP members promised improvements before October's vote, including handing out accreditations for party representatives two weeks before election day. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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