[Ppnews] Fwd: Rep.Waters Denounces Obvious Attempts to Steal Haiti Elections

[Political Prisoner News]

We should all be inspired, totally, by the incredible courage and  
tenacity of the Haitian people.  They are the true democrats!

>
> Maxine Waters' Call to Action on the Crisis in Haiti
>
> The Haiti Action Committee calls your attention to the following  
> press release from Rep. Maxine Waters. This is an expression of  
> outrage and a great call to action that we need to circulate  
> everywhere!!!!!!!!
>
> Please send it to your networks, national and international, to  
> local and national governments, political figures.Urge people to  
> take a stand in solidarity with the people of Haiti -- especially  
> at this critical moment when the Haitian people are rising up in  
> the streets demanding that their voice, their vote, and their right  
> of self-determination be respected.
> (For more information: www.haitiaction.net)
> PRESS RELEASE
>
> For Immediate Release: February 15, 2006, 12:01 a.m.
>
> CONGRESSWOMAN WATERS DENOUNCES THE OBVIOUS ATTEMPTS
>
> TO STEAL THE ELECTIONS IN HAITI AND DENY RENE PREVAL THE PRESIDENCY
>
>         Washington, D.C. - Today, on Capitol Hill, Rep. Maxine  
> Waters (CA-35) released a statement on the elections in Haiti.  The  
> elections took place on Tuesday, February 7, but the results have  
> yet to be announced.  The Congresswoman's statement follows:
>
>         The obvious attempts to steal the elections in Haiti are  
> blatant and shameful.  It is absolutely outrageous that the  
> President Aristide-haters, the anti-Lavalas elites, and the United  
> States Government would so openly and blatantly steal these elections.
>
>         The international community is witnessing yet another blow  
> against the Haitian people by the same forces that forced President  
> Aristide out of Haiti, the same forces who are responsible for all  
> of the chaos and destabilization of this small country.  How much  
> more can the Haitian people take?
>
>         The anti-Aristide forces have done everything in their  
> power to imprison the leaders of the Lavalas Party and deny Lavalas  
> leaders their right to run for office and their right to voice  
> their opposition to the Group of 184, the Provisional Electoral  
> Council, the puppet government, the International Republican  
> Institute, and others who are determined to undermine democracy in  
> Haiti.  President Bush must accept responsibility for the ongoing  
> violence, the chaos, and the blatant attempts to steal these  
> elections.
>
>         Early results showed an overwhelming victory for Rene  
> Preval.  Many polling stations posted their results the day after  
> the elections, and Preval won between 60% and 90% of the vote in  
> all of these polling stations.  Last Thursday, the Provisional  
> Electoral Council was reporting that Preval had 61.5% of the votes  
> counted thus far.
>
>         Since that time, 125,000 ballots or 7.5% of the votes cast  
> were declared invalid by the CEP because of alleged  
> irregularities.  Another 4% of the ballots were allegedly blank but  
> nevertheless included in the vote count, thereby making it more  
> difficult for Preval to exceed 50%.
>
>         No one in their right mind could possibly believe that Rene  
> Preval's lead plunged so quickly below the 50% required to avoid a  
> runoff.  What are the people of Haiti to do?
>
>         Who in the international community will step forward and  
> speak up against the obvious power-grab perpetrated on a nearly  
> defenseless people?
>
>         I am totally disgusted with my own government and the role  
> it played in this entire fiasco.  Is there no shame?  Is there no  
> compassion?  Is there no decency?
>
>         I cannot believe the audacity of the United Nations and  
> others to tell the Haitian people that they should not resist  
> oppression and demand respect.  The Haitian people have suffered  
> greatly at the hands of the United States, France and Canada,  
> powerful nations who preach democracy and yet orchestrated the  
> removal of the democratically-elected president of Haiti and drove  
> him from his own country.
>
>         Is there no shame in the fact that the United States  
> installed the puppet Prime Minister Gerard Latortue from Boca  
> Raton, Florida, who proceeded to jail former Prime Minister Yvon  
> Neptune on frivolous charges and jailed other Lavalas leaders like  
> former Interior Minister Jocelerme Privert, Haitian singer Anne  
> Auguste and Father Gerard Jean-Juste without cause?  Is there no  
> shame in the fact that the United States allowed Roger Noriega to  
> conspire with Andy Apaid and the Group of 184 to manipulate Haitian  
> students in cooperation with the Haitian elites in an attempt to  
> grab control of that country for their own purposes?
>
>         Haven't the Haitian people suffered enough?  The man-made  
> terror and violence coupled with natural disasters that have been  
> inflicted upon the people of Haiti will be recorded in history as  
> catastrophic events that caused tremendous loss of life and an  
> unbearable and tragic existence for the Haitian people.
>
>         After all of this suffering, is the United States really  
> prepared to stand by and deny the poorest of people who persevered  
> on election day, walked for miles, and waited for hours for the  
> right to elect persons of their choice?  If so, then the President  
> of the United States does not deserve to use the word "democracy,"  
> for he neither respects nor supports it, but simply promotes the  
> rhetoric of democracy to his own advantage.
>
>         I stand with the people of Haiti.  I stand with the Lavalas  
> Party.  I stand with Rene Preval and his Party of Hope.  I stand  
> with President Aristide.  I stand for justice, equality and  
> democracy.  And I challenge the United States, France and Canada to  
> correct their destructive behavior and give democracy a chance.
>
>         Rene Preval is obviously the elected president of Haiti.   
> He received considerably more than 50% of the vote, and he must be  
> granted the right to serve without further interference, obstacles  
> or violence.
>
>       Contact Rep. Maxine Waters at (202) 225-2201 (Mikael Moore)
>
>
>

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