Elections in Paraguay and Haiti.

AuthorOchoa, Gina
PositionOAS

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

A team of 55 international observers travelled throughout Paraguay this past November to witness the election of mayors and municipal council members.

The Election Observation Mission (EOM) reported normal procedures throughout the day, making note of the punctual opening of polling places, a high level of participation of women as poll watchers, and a peaceful environment that allowed Paraguayans to exercise their right to vote. The EOM also identified specific cases where political proselytism, undue influence on voters' choices inside the polling places, and alleged vote buying were reported to the Supreme Tribunal of Electoral Justice (TSJE).

Secretary General José Miguel Insulza congratulated the people of Paraguay saying that the elections "confirm the solidity of democratic institutions in the Republic of Paraguay, reaffirmed by significant citizen participation and the commitment of all political actors to submit to the will of the people."

The OAS and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) also worked together to carry out a Joint Election Observation Mission (JEOM) to witness the developments in the presidential and legislative elections in Haiti in November.

The Mission began its activities during the month of August under the leadership of Ambassador Colin Granderson and deployed 57 observers to the eleven electoral departments of the country in order to witness the various phases of the election process.

The preliminary report presented at the end of the day included a series of observations and recommendations directed primarily at the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) and at political parties and highlighted positive aspects as well as some of the difficulties faced by the voters, including "an intense atmosphere of frustration and tension" experienced in some localities and accusations of preparation for fraud during the campaign period.

The JEOM report...

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