‘Citizens are not protected’: what does 2022 mean for Haiti? | Election News

Washington, DC – Twelve years ago, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake devastated Haiti, killing about 316,000 people and causing severe damage to the already impoverished Caribbean island.

Since then, Haiti has struggled to rebuild itself amid deep political instability and a series of natural disasters that have worsened the lives of 11.6 million people nationwide. Over the years, thousands have fled in search of safety, employment and education opportunities.

“Twelve years after the earthquake, we think Haiti would be in a better position, where most of the infrastructure would be rebuilt,” said Guerline Josef, executive director of the Haiti Bridge Alliance, an organization that helps Haitian migrants in the United States.

“But the situation has worsened,” said Josef, “because we have a country where the state has completely failed, where the citizens are not protected.”

Experts and rights groups say the situation in Haiti has reached a crisis point, as group violence is on the rise across the country. The assassination of President Jovenel Moise in the first year. International observers are concerned that February 7, the date on which Moses’ term would end, could lead to more violence and further complicate the country’s political transition.

Al Jazeera looks at what is happening in Haiti and what challenges Haitians will face next year.

How did Haiti get here?

The assassination of Moses, whose presidency was discussed, has worsened Haiti’s already tense, long-running political environment history of instability It was intensified by U.S. invasions and repressive regime uprisings.

Since the assassination of the president on July 7, 2021, the strength of armed groups in the country has been growing, and in the following months, violence, extortion and for rescuing street kidnappers they have risen.

According to the Center for Human Rights Analysis and Investigation, 782 kidnappings were reported between January 1 and October 16, 2021. But the Haitian investigation team said the number could be rough, as many people are reluctant to report crimes.

Brian Concannon, The founder of the Haitian Institute of Justice and Democracy, a U.S.-based rights group, said the groups control half of the country, as well as half of Port-au-Prince. Since September, Haiti has also suffered from disability fuel shortages groups blocked major roads in the country and demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry.

“People live in fear on a daily basis that going to work or school or getting food from the store will be a deadly decision,” Concannon told Al Jazeera. “People are not leaving their homes these days and hospitals are being closed because staff are too violent to get there.”

Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry has promised to hold elections in 2022, but no new election date has been set. [File: Ralph Tedy Erol/Reuters]

Who is in charge?

Henrike he took less than two weeks after the death of Prime Minister Moses.

while protected by US and other western powers, his authority has been questioned by Haitian civil society activists – including myself discard an international push earlier this year for a speedy election in Haiti.

Monique Clesca, Haitian writer, activist and former UN official, he told The Associated Press in September the news agency reported that Henry had “no legitimacy or credibility.” “We want a Haitian solution,” he said. “It’s time for the international community to say, ‘We’re listening.’

Henry has promised to vote in 2022, but no new election date has been set for group violence. Covid-19 Pandemic and other crises, including a 7.2 magnitude earthquake that hit the island August, Killed more than 300 people.

In September, Henry discarded Members of the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) through a presidential decree, making it even more difficult to hold elections. His term is expected to end on February 7, which will be the last day of Moses.

So in the event of an election, what positions will be filled?

Haiti will have to elect a new president and prime minister, 30 senators and 119 members of the national House of Representatives. Dozens of mayors and local officials would also be at stake.

In the remarkable example of the nation’s political paralysis, last week the Haitian Senate met for the first time in a year, but only seven of the 30 members of the chamber appeared. Only 10 members of parliament are still in office.

What are Haitians trying to do to find a solution?

On August 30, it was signed by a broad coalition of Haitian lawmakers and civil society groups Montana agreement, a political agreement that would put a two-year transitional government.

The agreement includes the appointment of a transitional president and prime minister, as well as the establishment of a transitional council responsible for rebuilding state institutions. The document was signed by 418 civil society organizations, 105 public institutions, 85 political parties and groups and 313 people.

But the pact is not without its challenges, as it specifically excludes sectors linked to the ruling Henry-backed party, as well as those with a clear link to criminal gangs.

What did Henry say about the Agreement?

Henry is opposed to the deal and has advanced his political deal, which will allow him to remain prime minister without a president until the next election.

In one statement on social media published on Monday, Henry said he is open to dialogue with supporters of the Montana Accord, as well as other initiatives. He also said that “very soon” Haiti will have a “credible” provisional electoral council.

Authorities in the Dominican Republic said on January 10, 2022, they had arrested a prime suspect in the assassination of President Moses. [File: Matias Delacroix/AP Photo]

Where is the international community?

World powers, including the United States, have said they support a unified solution to Haiti’s political crisis.

“The United States calls on the Haitian government and civil society to engage in serious discussions with each other to reach a single agreement that will pave the way for free, fair and credible elections, which should be done when territorial conditions allow.” A U.S. State Department spokesman told Al Jazeera says in an email.

While some Haitians believe that the U.S. is not doing enough to support Haiti, many human rights defenders and observers have accused the U.S. and other international actors of continuing to interfere in the country’s domestic policy.

In the same resignation letter in September, a former US special envoy to Haiti Daniel Foote he has been criticized by the US and other Port-au-Prince embassies for praising Henry’s “political agreement” in the face of another broader agreement on civil society.

“The pride in believing that we have to choose the winner is impressive,” Foot wrote. “This cycle of Haitian international political intervention has consistently yielded catastrophic results.”

World powers, including US, say they support a united solution to Haiti’s political crisis [Odelyn Joseph/AP Photo]

Are there other initiatives underway?

Members of the U.S. Haitian diaspora held a summit on January 13 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Organizers of the six-day Haiti Unity Summit, organized by the Law Center of the University of the South, said the event was aimed at helping Haitian political factions and civil society actors negotiate a solution and find a way to form a transitional government.

Participants announced on Monday that they had appointed President Fritz Jean and Mariam Fetiore as prime minister to replace Henry on February 7, the day his term ends.

“For the past 24 hours, I have been in talks with the ambassadors of America, Canada and France. We are all concerned about the potential for instability as we approach February 7, “said Russel Honore, a retired U.S. Army general who chaired the summit at a news conference.

But Jean, an economist who served as Haiti’s acting president in 2016, refused to attend the Louisiana event, saying he supported the Montana Agreement. He told a Haitian radio station on Monday that he intended to run for president of a transitional government in accordance with the agreement. Four of the seven civil society sectors that have signed the agreement have so far nominated Fritz as president.

More Haitian migrants are trying to make their way to the United States [File: Felix Marquez/AP Photo]

Where does all this leave the Haitians?

“Violent actors are gaining momentum, polarization is on the rise, and years of impunity are an incentive for political actors to do what they want without fear of consequences. All of this is a reminder that Haiti needs to find a way forward, and Haitians are trying to do that, despite many challenges, ”said Haitian civil society activist Emmanuela Douyon. he wrote in September.

Now, with the February 7 deadline approaching, there is growing concern about the unrest and the rise of violence, which could push more people to flee the country.

Since September 19, more than 17,000 Haitians have been repatriated from Latin American and Caribbean countries, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), which supports migrants.

The U.S. has deported the majority of Haitians arriving at its borders – more than 12,000 people, including children – under a curfew. COVID-19 pandemic rule, and they are Haitians now cultivating In Mexico and other countries in the region.

Concannon said it will ultimately be up to Haitian civil society and members of the political party to “create the conditions that will allow a democratically elected and legitimate government to sit down as soon as possible.”

“In the coming months, things will get worse in the short term, there is no way to prevent that,” he said. “There is hope that in the medium term Haiti-led solutions will be able to move forward, but much of that success depends on the US getting out of the way.”