| Prepared by: | Eben Kaplan |
|---|
UN peacekeepers try to help Haiti back on its feet
Throngs of Haitian voters braved long lines and bureaucratic delays (LA Times) to cast ballots in Haiti's presidential and legislative elections. After four postponements, the February 7 poll was "a stunning example of success" (Miami Herald), a U.S. Embassy spokesman said. Several deaths were reported amid the chaos, and allegations of fraud further marred the vote (NYT). Nevertheless, monitors praised the elections (BBC), which saw very high turnout. The poll was Haiti's first since former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide was ousted (Economist) in a February 2004 rebellion.
The departure of Aristide, Haiti's first democratically elected president, was little mourned in Washington. Yet, as the New York Times editorializes, Haiti has since gone from troubled democracy to a "more deeply troubled nondemocracy," as well as an example of the limitations of UN peacekeeping.
The vote asks Haitians to choose leaders from among thirty-five presidential candidates and more than 1,300 legislative hopefuls to help lift the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere out of its morass. The front-runner, former President René Préval (Miami Herald), presided over a rare period of stability between Aristide presidencies but has avoided the spotlight since leaving office. International observers hope Préval will put Haiti on the path toward democratic reconstruction.
Despite the presence of a UN peacekeeping force, the security situation in Haiti is dismal (BosGlobe). Official ineptitude presents another obstacle: 300,000 of 3.5 million voters did not receive the voter ID cards they registered for months ago (LATimes).
The new president faces a rash of troubles. Jean-Marie Guéhenno, the UN undersecretary-general for peacekeeping operations, tells cfr.org's Mary Crane that in order for stability to come to Haiti, the UN "must be very clear that we will really stay the course." But Der Spiegel says neither the UN nor the election will prevent the further deterioration of Haiti.
A recent report by three NGOs documents Haiti's rampant gun violence, which has caused thousands of refugees to seek safe haven in the United States (PhilaInquirer). High unemployment, violent gangs, and an under-informed electorate (BBC) are also among the nation's many ills, which have been documented by photographers for TIME and the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Weigh in on this issue by emailing CFR.org.
CFR offers a variety of email newsletters about up-to-date CFR.org material on what’s happening around the world.
Enter your email address and click 'Go' to subscribe.
CFR Experts are based in CFR’s New York and Washington offices. Each expert's bio page contains his or her contact information, professional and educational history, links to publications and current research, a downloadable one-page biographical narrative, and a high-definition photo.
Identifying international threats and acting on them may be the most difficult job for U.S. policymakers. This report
provides an actionable road map for managing international threats before they erupt into crises and makes a strong case that preventive action is not a luxury but a necessity.
For more than a decade, the United States has mostly watched from the sidelines as Asian countries organize themselves into an alphabet soup of new multilateral groups. In this report, the authors review the relationship between pan-Asian and trans-Pacific institutions and suggest policy guidelines for a new U.S. approach to this new Asian landscape.
Complete list of Council Special Reports
Start-Up Nation addresses the trillion-dollar question: How is it that Israel—a country of 7.1 million, only sixty years old, surrounded by enemies— produces more start-up companies than large, peaceful, and stable nations like Japan, China, India, Korea, Canada, and the UK? With the insights of geopolitical experts and investors, the authors examine this nation’s adversity-driven culture to answer this question and offer prescriptions for a global economy on the rebound.
In Forces of Fortune, Vali Nasr presents a paradigm-changing revelation that will transform the understanding of the Muslim world at large. He reveals that there is a vital but unseen rising force in the Islamic world—a new business-minded middle class—that is building a vibrant new Muslim world economy and that holds the key to winning the cold war against Iran and extremists.
In Cuba: What Everyone Needs to Know, Julia E. Sweig presents a remarkably accessible portrait of Cuba's unique place on the world stage over the past fifty years, including its internal politics, its often fraught relationship with the United States, and its shifting relationship with the global community.
Complete list of CFR Books
Copyright 2009 by the Council on Foreign Relations. All Rights Reserved.
Global Economy 