Between the text of the terms of reference of the Verification Commission made available before signing last April 14 and the final text after signature, two changes were made.

Firstly in the mandate "check compliance of voting operations, polling and counting process in light of the provisions of the Electoral Decree," "in light" became "in accordance" which will prevent abuses by restricting the works to the electoral Decree.

On the other hand a second modification and not least has been taken since the task consisting to "identify the perpetrators, beneficiaries and victims of serious irregularities or fraud proven for appropriate purposes has completely disappeared...

New Final text of the terms of reference of the mandate as signed :

"[...] the member of the Independent Commission of Electoral Evaluation and Verification will develop a methodology for a technical analysis of the data available at the vote tabulation center, the mandate of the commission is defined as follows : Purify the voting process by analyzing the signing sheets, partial electoral lists (LEP), counting sheets, of minutes of counting, the minutes of deficiency, incidence minutes, of ballots, and already registered complaints ; Evaluate and revise, if necessary, the decisions of CEP litigation organs having been the subject of denunciations, of regularly documented complaints, for the purposes of law ; Check the compliance of voting operations, of voting and counting process in accordance of the provisions of the Electoral Decree of March 2015; recommend measures of enforceable order to the executive power and the CEP likely to restore confidence in the electoral process and ensure the accuracy of the results [...]"

Moreover in the terms of the Commission it is stated "all following parties and political groupings : Fanmi Lavalas, Pitit Dessalines, Pati Ayisyen Tèt Kale (PHTK), LAPEH, Vérité, Organisation du Peuple en Lutte (OPL), Ayiti An Aksyon (AAA), Konvansyon Inite Demokratik ( KID), INITE, Bouclier, Renmen Ayiti, MAS, G-30, Mosano, Canaan, Konviksyon, Pati Politik Peyizan, etc... Civil Society organizations, electoral observation organizations, all political actor duly authorized for this purpose, have the legitimate right to observe the work of the Commission."

Regarding the 5 members of the Commission of Evaluation and Verification, Under reserve of their publication in a presidential decree, the most likely names circulating are :

• Erick Gaillard designated by the Order of Chartered Accountants Haitian ;

• François Benoit (ormer adviser of CEP 2005-2006) ;

• Gédéon Jean appointed by the members of the former Electoral Evaluation Commission formed in 2015 under the Martelly regime ;

• Former senator Marc Donald Jean, former member of the Council of Elders (2004), appointed by the Episcopal / Anglican Church ;

• Pierre Wilfrid Sanon, designated by the Haitian Association of construction companies (after withdrawal of the Haitian National College of Engineers and Architects)

See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-17220-haiti-politic-pm-fails-to-reassure-deputies.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-17190-haiti-elections-verification-commission-terms-of-reference-approved-and-signed.html

SL/ HaitiLibre