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Haiti's president lapses into political favouritism with former dictator Duvalier

Michel Martelly makes an appearance at the Lycee Petionville polling station during the recent Haitian elections. Photo: Rozanna Fang/Flickr
During the recent election, Michel Martelly campaigned as a champion of 'change,' but it isn't the case.

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Michel Martelly wins Haiti's election

Haiti has been 'going in the wrong direction for the last 25 years,' says its new leader.

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Don't be surprised at the UN's failings in Egypt -- just take a look at Haiti

CBC's The Sunday Edition host, Michael Enright, gave an opening essay on the Feb. 13 program that lamented the failure of the United Nations to provide meaningful support to the people of Egypt in their courageous battle to end the tyranny under which they have lived for 30 years.

In the essay titled, "The United Nations of Nowhere," he said Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon offered nothing more than platitudes, token phrases to the people of Egypt.

Enright then went on to note, "When we say the words ‘United Nations,' we automatically think of four things -- the Security Council, the Secretary General, the General Assembly and peacekeeping.

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A critic of western policy in Haiti loses his OAS job

Brazilian peacekeepers from the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) distribute water and food in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. 22/Jan/2010. Port-au-Prince, Haiti. UN Photo/Marco Dormino/Flickr
On December 25, the Organization of American States removed their special representative... for telling the truth about Haiti.

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A critic of western policy in Haiti loses his OAS job

Brazilian peacekeepers from the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) distribute water and food in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. 22/Jan/2010. Port-au-Prince, Haiti. UN Photo/Marco Dormino/Flickr

On December 25, the Organization of American States removed their special representative, Ricardo Seitenfus, from Haiti. The reason was very simple. He told the truth.

In an interview four days earlier with the Swiss newspaper Le Temps, Seitenfus bluntly expressed the popular discontent which the Haitian people have been saying since the arrival of MINUSTAH (United Nations Stabilization Force in Haiti) on June 1, 2004 -- simply put, that their presence " solves nothing, it makes things worse. [They] want to turn Haiti into a capitalist country, an export platform for U.S. market, it's absurd." The French language article can be read here.

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A letter to MPs about Haiti's election

The following letter concerning the Nov. 28 electoral exercise in Haiti was e-mailed to all members of the Canadian Parliament on Wednesday, Dec. 15. On Dec. 13, the House of Commons in Ottawa held a rare debate on Haiti. You can read excerpts or the full transcript of that debate by going to the website of the Canada Haiti Action Network.

To: Members of the Parliament of Canada

Subject: Election in Haiti

Dear Member of Parliament,

We are writing to urge that as an elected Member of Parliament you direct a critical eye to the Canadian government's financing and endorsement of the Nov. 28 election in Haiti.

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Haiti, the UN and cholera on election day

Photo: Kevin Edmonds
The poor are demonized for the suffering while those responsible are absolved of any responsibility.

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Haiti, the UN and cholera on election day

Photo: Kevin Edmonds

My third day in Haiti, walking down Avenue John Brown in the center of Port-au-Prince I was confronted point blank with the desperation of the cholera situation.

On the side of the road, a shirtless man with brown pants and no shoes lay on the sidewalk outside a busy market entrance -- eyes open, with his arm in the gutter and flies buzzing around his face. He was dead. A couple photographers quickly snapped photos and jumped back into their vehicles as the ambulance crew arrived to pick up the body. He was another victim of an outbreak which will only kill the poor and the vulnerable -- which unfortunately makes Haiti a deadly conductor for the spread of the disease.

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