Haiti tense ahead of ballot
Haiti is preparing for its senatorial elections, but the electoral exercise has become mired in controversy after the disqualification of Fanmi Lavalas, the political party widely backed by the country's poor.
Lavalas is the party of Jean Bertrand Aristide, the country's former president who fled into exile after he was ousted in a coup, allegedly sponsored by the US in 2004.
It boasts thousands of followers in Cite Soleil and in all poor areas of Haiti.
Back in February, Haiti's Provisional Electoral Council (PEC) announced that it would not recognise Lavalas candidates in the upcoming elections because their papers did not have Aristide's signature, and that they would not accept a faxed copy.
Although Aristide was removed in 2004 and now lives in exile in Pretoria, South Africa, some Haitians have called for his return.
Vanele Louis Paul, a member of Fanmi Lavalas, told Al Jazeera: "The only way Lavalas got power is through voting and now they want to exclude us.
"We competed in an election and won. We are fighting to get into this election so we can defend our rights."
United Nations officials have urged the PEC to include all parties.
José Miguel Insulza, the secretary general of the Organisation of American States, said: "I cannot help but express my concern about the possibility that an important group of Haitian citizens might feel that they are not being represented in this process."
Security fears
It is unclear whether Lavalas exclusion will spark violence but there have been reports of demands by some for the population to stay at home on election day rather than cast their ballot.
Haiti's security has been slowly improving since UN peacekeepers intervened in 2004, but UN patrols have been intensified ahead of the elections in areas considered "red zones" - areas such as Cite Soleil.
The US and UN say that democratic elections are a sign of progress in Haiti, even if that democracy appears to only be guaranteed by the foreign troops on the streets.
Many people have told Al Jazeera that they do not care much about the elections.
A recent study by the Florida-based Haiti Priorities Project, an advocacy organisation, says there is widespread apprehension and disaffection among Haitians in the run-up to the elections.
Only five per cent of potential voters nationwide say they are ready to go to the polls. Many are more concerned by their dire economic situation.
"I don't know anything about the elections," Ofitat Sousise, who sells clay cookies to make a living, told Al Jazeera.
"I don't want to know. Nobody ever does anything for us so I just know about clay."
Although security has improved, people continue to suffer in the most impoverished country in the Americas.
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