Haiti - Elections : «Haiti is not ready» dixit Frederica S. Wilson
Wednesday, as part of a presentation on USAID's efforts to help Haiti recover from the severe damage caused by Hurricane Matthew, Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson in the presence of several of her colleagues also expressed concern about the presidential and legislative elections slated to take place on Sunday, November 20, and the obstacles that the hurricane damage presents to a smooth process. Schools that would normally be used as polling places, for example, are instead serving as shelters for people who have been made homeless by the storm. In addition, voting cannot take place in areas that are still cut off and receiving food and other supplies by airdrop. "I know what it takes to hold an election in a developing nation like Haiti. In my view, Haiti is not ready and there may be some serious challenges to the election because there will be so many people who won't get to vote because one, they didn't have the appropriate credentials; two, they couldn't get to the polling place to vote; and three, they didn't know where their polling places are..."
Otherwise, reiterated her objections to the Department of Homeland Security's decision to resume deportation flights to Haiti.
In October she led more than 50 House Democrats and Republicans in a letter to President Obama https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-18873-haiti-usa-57-congress-members-against-the-deportations-of-haitian.html urging him to delay the deportations because Haiti is not equipped to care for the planned biweekly arrival of deportees or to provide the resources they will need to rebuild their lives. She also called on the administration to hold full and fair asylum hearings; provide effective counsel and other forms of relief; re-designate Haiti's temporary protective status due to expire next July to include Haitians already in the United States; and to expand the Haitian Family Reunification Parole Program, which promotes safe and legal migration to the U.S. "The deportations must stop—that's the bottom line," Rep. Wilson said to applause.
