Thursday in Petionville, nearly 200 representatives of political parties debated for over 6 hours with the 9 advisers of the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) around the electoral timetable. Unlike the pre-calendar proposed for discussion by the CEP, the majority of leaders of political parties require that all elections (parliamentary, presidential and local authorities) be held before the end of 2015. However, participants have been unable to agree on how elections should be organized first. The only thing that seemed to be a consensus, it was the impossibility to hold elections in July due to the period of state exams.

Note that several parties of the radical opposition including the "Patriotic Movement of Democratic Opposition" (MOPOD), the "National Rally of Progressive Democrats" (RDNP) and "Pitit Desalin" of the former Senator Moïse, were conspicuous by their absence.

Concerning the draft electoral decree, Pierre-Louis Opont, President of CEP recalled that after extensive consultation with stakeholders, the draft electoral decree was amended to take account of different suggestions and recommendations submitted to the Executive on 21 February. He said to wait for the final touches of the Executive, before publication of the electoral decree in the official gazette. Download the modified draft decree (PDF) : https://www.haitilibre.com/docs/avantprojetdecretelectoral-version-FIN-fevrier-2015.pdf

Download the draft decree before modifications : https://www.haitilibre.com/docs/avantprojetdecretelectoral-version-6-fevrier-2015.pdf

The only dates retained by the CEP are only those listed in the Constitution: Sunday, February 7, 2016 for the inauguration of the new President of the Republic; second Monday of January 2016 for the opening of Parliament and last Sunday of October 2015, for the holding of the presidential election.

During these discussions, often heated, the majority rejected suggestions the pre-timetable submitted by the CEP on February 10 https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-13157-haiti-flash-the-cep-announces-two-elections-this-year.html . Several parties have offered their electoral timetable with different dates.

Fanmi Lavalas proposes 2 elections in 2015. The first round of presidential and legislative elections in October and the second round in December, including the vote to renew the local authorities.

The party RESPE of Charles Backer, proposes the first round of parliamentary elections in late May and the second round end of June in conjunction with a unique tour for local authorities and finally the end of the presidential elections in October.

The alternating League for Progress and the Haitian Empowerment (LAPEH) of Anacasis Jean Hector, proposed the holding of legislative and presidential elections in August, with a second round in November, which would include local authorities.

The CEP has indicated that it would take into consideration and analyze all proposals and hoped to publish an electoral timetable by next week...

SL/ HaitiLibre