The decision of the Provisional Electoral Council, in accordance with article 119, of eliminating 14 candidates in the upcoming elections that would have became subject to the of Articles 196, 199, 203, 213, 214 and 218 of the Electoral Decree of 2 March 2015, https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-14870-haiti-flash-the-cep-eliminates-14-candidates-including-arnel-belizaire.html began to cause strong reactions among candidates affected by this radiation.

Arnel Bélizaire, Senate candidate (West Department) under the banner APLA accuses Pierre Louis Opont, the President of the CEP, to want to resolve by this sanction, a personal problem with him. He rejects the charges against him of "Shooting with automatic weapons near the Drouillard voting center, widespread panic, disrupt polling."

He says the one hand not to have been in Drouillard and points the assembly of this false accusation, since there is no voting center in Drouillard... He claimed to have written the CEP to restore the situation and requested his reinstatement on the list of candidates.

The campaign office of François Tony Antonelly Claude, candidate for deputy / Port-de-Paix (northwest) under the banner PHTK, rejects out of hand the accusations of "Ransacking of the voting center Ecole Nationale de Fatima, destruction of ballots and disturbance of the conduct of elections," used to justify the cancellation of its candidate.

For the office, it is "a malicious maneuver of some poorly placed candidates in the race, wishing at any price going to the 2nd round [...]" deploring "it is unacceptable that the plots have more strength and effectiveness that court decisions."

The office called activists, supporters and sympathizers of their removed candidate, to keep their calm convinced that "If the electoral advisers really want to achieve free, fair, democratic and inclusive in the country, they will give our candidates the opportunity to prove his innocence and to reinstate the race."

Joseph Wilbert Deshommes, candidate for deputy for the constituency of Grande Saline (Rossignol) under the banner VERITE, also denied the charges of CEP against him of "Violation of the vote, ransacking of voting stations, shooting with automatic weapons." According to him these alse accusation "are designed to tarnish its image and prevent him of winning in the first round..."

Note that the list of 14 candidates delisted by the CEP is provisional and may be subject to change. New candidates can be added and other removed, according to a process decisions not very transparent...

HL/ HaitiLibre