Electoral fraud probe continues in Haiti

Haiti's executive director of the provisional electoral council resigns

PORT-AU-PRINCE – President Jocelerme Privert has been in power in Haiti since February, after former President Michel Martelly stepped down.

Privert's only mandate was to make sure the impoverished island's more than 5 million voters had free and fair elections. 

Haitian presidential candidate Jovenel Moïse is among those suspicious of the third lapsed electorate deadline on May 14. He won last year's first rounds of presidential elections. 

Moïse's rival, Jude Célestin, said fraud was rampant and the results should be scrapped for a rerun. 

Moïse believes the delays are part of Privert's strategy to avoid elections and stay in power. Privert has denied this and said his special electoral council's priority is to investigate the allegations of fraud.

On Friday, Haiti's executive director of the provisional electoral council resigned, according to two sources who contacted Local 10 News. 

Mosler Georges held the job since January 2014. He submitted his resignation letter to the council's president Leopold Berlanger Fils. Georges' former boss, Pierre Louis Opont, resigned Jan. 29.

The council has to decide if the first round of elections is valid or invalid. And that could be enough to set up violent protests in the impoverished country, where a presidential election has a tag of about $80 million, according to the Miami Herald.  

Local 10 News partner The Washington Post contributed to this story. 


About the Authors:

Glenna Milberg joined Local 10 News in September 1999 to report on South Florida's top stories and community issues. She also serves as co-host on Local 10's public affairs broadcast, "This Week in South Florida."

The Emmy Award-winning journalist joined the Local 10 News team in 2013. She wrote for the Miami Herald for more than 9 years and won a Green Eyeshade Award.