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Haiti is scheduled to hold nationwide municipal elections Oct. 9, 2005, and legislative and presidential elections Nov. 13, 2005. If necessary, a runoff election will take place Dec. 18, 2005.
The U.S. government and United Nations are determined the elections will not be postponed, arguing that a legitimate democratic government represents the first vital step toward lifting Haiti out of its extreme social misery, economic chaos and political instability. However, armed groups loyal to ousted former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide are determined to derail the elections, or else to strip the new government of its legitimacy by boycotting the elections if they are not postponed.
Some groups such as the International Crisis Group (ICG) already are calling for the elections' postponement because Haiti is not prepared to hold transparent elections yet. According to the ICG report, rampant political violence is only one reason for this problem. The report also notes that voter registration is running far behind schedule, and that not a single political party has registered officially to field candidates in the elections. To address the last two issues, the interim government of Prime Minister Gerard Latortue has extended the deadlines for registering voters and political parties.
As to the issue of political violence, U.N. and U.S. government officials claim political violence is being contained in Haiti and say elections will be held on schedule. To make certain this happens, the U.N. peacekeeping force likely will be reinforced before elections. Also, the U.S. government will shortly send 3,000 handguns, hundreds of rifles and anti-riot equipment to Haiti to reinforce the country's police ahead of an anticipated surge in politically motivated violence in coming months. But reinforcing international and local security forces will not stabilize Haiti before -- or after -- the elections.
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