Campaign Season in Haiti
smw, slt has been on a bit of a holiday back home in northern California. Here in the US I’ve enjoyed the antics of the current republican presidential front-runner – ah, such inanity. Back in Haiti where my work remains, tomorrow will be the first round of elections in what bids to be a remarkable election year: the last time Haitians went to the polls was not long after the earthquake, in late 2010. A president was elected then in a second-round run-off, with substantial and documented influence from the US and the OAS to eliminate one candidate and include that eventual winner in the second round instead. The government led by that president has not managed to realize municipal or legislative elections since then. They’ve been scheduled more than once in past years, but always cancelled before happening. With no electoral mandate remaining, parliament was dismissed in January and the president is ruling by decree, with a stated goal of using that power to ensure elections happen this year before his own electoral mandate runs out. Tomorrow is the first round for 2/3 of the senate (1/3 of them apparently still have legitimate electoral mandates, or some kind of special deal), and all deputies. I’ll fly back on Tuesday, and am following this from a distance with interest.
If the schedule goes as planned, late October will be an even bigger day: second round for these candidates (where no one wins a clear majority), first round for president, and the only round for all the mayors and other municipal posts that have been filled by appointment rather than election since their own elected terms have run out in recent years. Campaign graffiti on walls has been omnipresent in Port au Prince for months already, but formal posters and billboards started springing up everywhere, about a month ago when the official campaign season started – I think July 9 was the date. I’ve really enjoyed watching all the many posters pop up, seeing all the graffiti, and realizing how similar the political slogans are to what I’ve seen in any country anywhere. (My favorite, not yet captured on camera but I’ll try when I get back, is the female candidate for a post in the Western Department of which PaP is part, whose slogan is “Les actions parlent plus fort que les mots ” — actions speak louder than words. I wonder what those actions will/would be if she’s elected!) I really hope that this big electoral season manages to happen fairly and without any major violence or problems, and thought maybe some of my readers would enjoy seeing signs of the season from Haiti, even though I didn’t get as many or as much variety as I’d have liked.
Mountains, Lake, Mountains, Sunsets
One thing many outsiders (especially in the US) know about Haiti is the popular refrain “mountains beyond mountains,” to describe the highly mountainous terrain most common here. Recently I’ve gotten out again a bit: up to Hinche in the Central Department here, driving through lovely green farming terrain along the way…and, indeed, getting a sense of the mountains which criss-cross this country, rank upon rank. These are mostly just shots taken during the drives, or in and around the hotel we stayed at in Hinche. There are also a few bits and pieces from here in Port-au-Prince and environs, just for fun.
It’s election season, with the first round due on August 9th; I’ve been trying to capture shots of the election posters and so on, and hope to put some of those up for your enjoyment in another post within the next few weeks. Right now, I’m about to take a short vacation back home in California, and I admit I’m excited for some down time. Hope everyone’s well, and enjoy the shots.
(so much world, so little time....) 