November 18, 1803 - November 18, 2009; 206 years later

Yes, believe it or not it has been 206 years since the Battle of Vertières took place. However, it is also clear that Haiti has not accomplished anything of that magnitude ever since.

"The Battle of Vertières was the last large battle of the Haitian Revolution. The Haitian War of Independence was fought between Haitian rebels and French expeditionary forces... Haitians, led by Jean-Jacques Dessalines and François Capois, attacked a strong French-held fort of Vertières, near Cap Français (in the north of Haiti). They won a decisive victory over the French colonial army under General Comte de Rochambeau and forced him to capitulate the same night." Kyle Evans.

Ask any Haitian (living in Haiti or abroad) who cares about the country about the significance of this historical event to them, you will get a variety of responses. One aspect is clear, our ancestors did not fight to have the kind of Haiti that exists today. I do not have to make a list of things that make Haiti what it is 206 years later.

I am sure our ancestors were to come back to life, they would not be happy to know that Haiti still lacks proper living and working conditions for all its inhabitants. They would be upset to know that the country has been handicapped by its "so called leaders" who never put the interests of nation first. They would be upset to know that we are one of the least developed nations of the world, with so much corruption. This is not the Haiti for which they fought.

Frankly, I have very little reasons to celebrate November 18^th. After 206 years we have not made our ancestors proud of us. It is now time for us Haitians to start doing something (small or big) for Haiti, regardless where we reside today. Haiti can be better if we think and act differently.

Garry Moyiz, a concerned Haitian

Creole and French version of this text will be available soon.

Eleksyon Mache Prese, San Bon Preparasyon

Eleksyon pou senatè ak depite yo an Ayiti fikse pou 28 Fevrye 2010. Depi nan faz planifikasyon yo, gentan gen anpil "lacunes". Kalandrye elektoral la se yon komedi, gade pi ba-a n'a konprann. Li pa posib pou ke eleksyon ap prepare nan mwens ke 4 mwa. Ou gen on KEP ki fek monte. Nan moun ki ladann yo, genyen ki te patisipe nan eleksyon magouy deja, epi gen on lot gwoup ki pa menm gen on ide nan koze planifye, òganize, ak jere eleksyon.

Mwen sot li on atik kote gen $25 milyon PNUD pral debloke pou eleksyon. Gen $7 milyon kap soti nan kès leta. Poukisa tout lajan sa yo pa debloke pou sa bay training ak preparasyon bon jan eleksyon ke moun ka kwè nan rezilta yo?

Epi tou, ak tout lajan sa yo PNUD ap debloke-a, eske yo pa janm tande kijan gen "fraudes" nan eleksyon Ayiti? Anpil bagay deja pwouve ke nou pa gen anpil chans nan reyalize bon eleksyon, toutotan se model KEP sa yo ki enstale nan peyi-a.

Pati politik yo nan mache prese. Dayè yo pa menm byen òganize pou tèt yo. (M'ap pale sou sa on lòt fwa). Ki plan, ki pwogram politik yo genyen pou yo prezante bay moun ki pral vote yo? Sa pa ta dwe etone pesonn, si moun pa ale vote. Nou tèlman gen swadizan pati politik. De fwa ou pap menm konnen vizyon yo pou peyi-a.

Yon lòt gwo pwoblem peyi-a genyen, se paske gen anpil moun ki pa konn poukisa yo vote oubyen ki kalifikasyon moun yo ap vote-a genyen pou li pozisyon li kandida-a. Pandan tan sa-a, pa men gen 3 mwa pou kanpay "edukasyon civique" yo fèt.

Li lè pou moun ki an plas yo rekonèt ke sistem nan pa mache. Pa gen anyen ki mal nan kopye sou on system kote sa mache byen.

Men sa KEP la publiye (dapre on atik ki soti nan Le Nouvelliste):

Calendrier électoral

16 au 20 novembre 2009 : Enregistrement des partis, groupements et regroupements politiques.

24 novembre 2009 : Publication de la liste des partis agréés.

25 au 30 novembre 2009 : Inscription des candidats.

30 novembre au 9 décembre 2009 : Période de contestation des candidatures.

11 décembre 2009 : Publication de la liste des candidats agréés.

12 décembre 2009 : Ouverture de la campagne d'éducation civique

27 janvier 2010: Ouverture de la campagne électorale.

26 février 2010 : Fermeture de la campagne électorale.

28 février 2010 : Premier tour dans tous les départements, sauf le Centre.

3 mars 2010 : Premier tour dans le département du Centre.

8 mars 2010 : Résultats préliminaires.

11 au 22 mars 2010 : Contestations et traitement de contestations.

22 mars 2010 : Résultats définitifs du 1er tour

Nou bezwen on nouvo Ayiti.