Signers of Open Letter Condemn Exclusion of Haiti’s Largest Party from Ballot
Washington, D.C. and Joseph, OR – Over 30 directors of human rights and solidarity groups, academics, and prominent individuals from Haiti, the U.S., France and the U.K. sent an open letter to Organization of American States Secretary-General José Miguel Insulza and United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today urging them to acknowledge the grave problems with Haiti’s April 19 senatorial elections – most notably the exclusion of all candidates from the largest political party in Haiti, Fanmi Lavalas. Calling the decision to exclude Fanmi Lavalas seemingly “arbitrary and irregular,” the letter’s signers urged the OAS and the UN to support the holding of new, inclusive elections. The letter is signed by Mario Joseph, Managing Attorney for Bureau des Avocats Internationaux in Haiti, Bishop Thomas Gumbleton, Brian Concannon Jr., Director of the Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti, Nicole Lee, Executive Director of TransAfrica Forum, Fritz Gutwein of Haiti Reborn, and Bill Fletcher Jr., Executive Editor of BlackCommentator.com, among others.