Haiti - Elections D-1 : Duties and obligations of police officers
At 24 hours of the election of the first round of presidential elections, the second round of parliamentary elections and the municipal elections, everything seems ready at the level of law enforcement to ensure the smooth conduct of the vote.
This week Commissioner Frantz Lerebours, spokesman of the National Police of Haiti (PNH) reminded the police officers, their duties and obligations. To this end, the PNH officers engage in the electoral process to respect among others the following requirements :
Do not be part of the organ of organization of the electoral campaign of a political party; or participating in parades, meetings and demonstrations for or against any party and / or candidate;
AEnsure the physical security of premises (CEP, CTV, BED and BEC) and convoys of electoral materials, the personal safety of voters, candidates, representatives of political parties, electoral officials, national and international observers, and of the community ;
Do not show on their own cars, their homes or units, posters or other election documents of a political party and / or candidate. Maintain a safe and neutral environment for elections without threats or violence ;
Do not conduct opinion polls for any political party or candidate ;
Control their behavior and language and show citizens that they are there to protect their right to vote ;
Not distribute support materials to voters or make public statements for or against a party and / or candidate ;
Being proactive and professional by informing electoral staff on all possible problems or intimidation ;
Do not act or behave in a way that may give citizens the feeling that the police interfere with the electoral process ;
Ensure that nobody can enter the voting centers with a firearm or any object that could affect the lives members of the Polling station, voters, or all other actors involved in the process ;
Avoid being led by a candidate or driving a vehicle belonging to a candidate or political party on election day ;
Do not abandon his post or leave CEP members or their representatives alone with the results after recounts and guarantee security until the minutes and voting materials are delivered to the primary supervisor of the voting center, and ensure safety of UNOPS collection convoys (United Nations Office for Project Services) for the delivery of minutes-counting to the BEC then to the BED.
