Haiti: Voting Out the Evil Spirits

From the shantytowns of Port-au-Prince to the fishing village of Pestel in the south, Haitians last week peacefully crowded to the polls to cast their votes for a new constitution. More than 40% of the electorate, an astonishing figure considering the country’s pervasive illiteracy, turned out and approved Haiti’s new charter by 99.8%.

The new constitution should preclude another dictatorship like that of the Duvaliers, which after 29 years in power was overthrown 14 months ago. If all goes according to plan, the current military council will disband next February and turn over power to an elected President who will share power with a Prime Minister. Both will be answerable to a 97-member legislature. Governing under such a system will no doubt be difficult. But most Haitians agree it is essential in a country where the legend of the Duvaliers is more terrifying than the spirits of the dead.