Political tensions are running high in Haiti these days. The people of Haiti have been asking for elections — especially fair elections — for some time now. In mid-December, I saw thousands of Haitians take to the streets of Port-au-Prince in protest. Just last week, hundreds more protested in the capital city.
It’s been nearly four years since certain municipality and national parliament elections have taken place. One might argue that it’s been even longer than that since fair elections were held.
And meanwhile, on Monday, Jan. 12, a majority of parliament seats will expire. Unless a compromise can be reached, this will render the parliament defunct and allow President Michel Martelly to rule by decree.
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About the author
Elise Young
Elise Young serves as senior adviser, gender mainstreaming and thought leadership at FHI 360. She is an international development and policy professional with more than 15 years of experience. She has worked for multiple years on the ground in both Francophone and Anglophone Africa, Haiti and the Caribbean, and specializes in fair trade, economic development, food security, agricultural development, land rights, women's rights, education, gender integration, civil society consultation and overall aid accountability.
