Lespwa
Encyclopedia
Fwon Lespwa is a Haiti
an political coalition headed by René Préval
, who served as president from 1996 to 2001 and from 2006 to 2011. The name Lespwa is the Haitian Creole
form of the French l'espoir, meaning "hope". The coalition's full French
name is Front de l'Espoir (Hope Front). Lespwa includes many members and former members of the last democratically elected government of Jean Bertrand Aristide and his Fanmi Lavalas
(Waterfall Family).
USAID
and the IRI
attempted to form a rump Lavalas organization with Marc Bazin
, but Aristide along with nearly all of Fanmi Lavalas refused to recognize Bazin's candidacy. While publicly boycotting the elections, Lavalas overwhelmingly supported the election of René Préval, which it saw as a return to peace and democracy.
At the February 2006 presidential election
, Préval was the Lespwa candidate. With 90% of the vote counted by February 13, he was leading with 49% of the vote. On February 16, 2006, Préval was declared the winner with 51.21% of the vote, once a number of uncounted voters were tabulated. Supporters of Lespwa found a massive dump of burned charred voting cards marked for Preval. A massive persecution upon supporters of the ousted Aristide government by the illegal interim government of Gerard Latortue
preceded the 2006 election cycle. The party won in the 7 February 2006 Senate elections
18.9 % of the popular vote and 13 out of 30 Senators and 23 out of 99 deputies in the Chamber of Deputies
election. Lespwa's parliamentary caucus formed part of the governing coalition under Jacques-Édouard Alexis
, but soon formed a political alliance, the Coalition of Progressive Parliamentarians
, that filed a motion of no confidence in Alexis' government during the 2008 food crisis. It has since rejected two of Preval's nominees for prime minister; through the electoral alliance, Lespwa's leaders have gained a majority in the Chamber.
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
an political coalition headed by René Préval
René Préval
René Garcia Préval is a Haitian politician and agronomist who was the President of the Republic of Haiti from 14 May 2006 to 14 May 2011. He previously served as President from February 7, 1996, to February 7, 2001, and as Prime Minister from February 1991 to October 11, 1991.-Early life and...
, who served as president from 1996 to 2001 and from 2006 to 2011. The name Lespwa is the Haitian Creole
Haitian Creole language
Haitian Creole language , often called simply Creole or Kreyòl, is a language spoken in Haiti by about twelve million people, which includes all Haitians in Haiti and via emigration, by about two to three million speakers residing in the Bahamas, Cuba, Canada, France, Cayman Islands, French...
form of the French l'espoir, meaning "hope". The coalition's full French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
name is Front de l'Espoir (Hope Front). Lespwa includes many members and former members of the last democratically elected government of Jean Bertrand Aristide and his Fanmi Lavalas
Fanmi Lavalas
Fanmi Lavalas is a leftist political party in Haiti. Its leader is former Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. It has been a powerful force in Haitian politics since 1991. Fanmi Lavalas governments supported a policy of "growth with equity" based on Caribbean and Western European social...
(Waterfall Family).
USAID
United States Agency for International Development
The United States Agency for International Development is the United States federal government agency primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid. President John F. Kennedy created USAID in 1961 by executive order to implement development assistance programs in the areas...
and the IRI
International Republican Institute
Founded in 1983, the International Republican Institute is an organization, funded by the United States government, that conducts international political programs, sometimes labeled 'democratization programs'....
attempted to form a rump Lavalas organization with Marc Bazin
Marc Bazin
Marc Louis Bazin was a World Bank official, former United Nations functionary and Haïtian Minister of Finance and Economy under the dictatorship of Jean-Claude Duvalier...
, but Aristide along with nearly all of Fanmi Lavalas refused to recognize Bazin's candidacy. While publicly boycotting the elections, Lavalas overwhelmingly supported the election of René Préval, which it saw as a return to peace and democracy.
At the February 2006 presidential election
Haitian elections, 2006
The 2006 elections in Haiti, to replace the interim government of Gérard Latortue put in place after the 2004 Haiti rebellion, were delayed four times after having been originally scheduled for October and November 2005. The elections finally took place on February 7, 2006, with turnout of around 60%...
, Préval was the Lespwa candidate. With 90% of the vote counted by February 13, he was leading with 49% of the vote. On February 16, 2006, Préval was declared the winner with 51.21% of the vote, once a number of uncounted voters were tabulated. Supporters of Lespwa found a massive dump of burned charred voting cards marked for Preval. A massive persecution upon supporters of the ousted Aristide government by the illegal interim government of Gerard Latortue
Gérard Latortue
Gérard Latortue was the Prime Minister of Haïti from March 12, 2004 to June 9, 2006. He was an official in the United Nations for many years, and briefly served as foreign minister of Haïti during the short-lived 1988 administration of Leslie Manigat.In February 2004, the country suffered a coup...
preceded the 2006 election cycle. The party won in the 7 February 2006 Senate elections
Haitian elections, 2006
The 2006 elections in Haiti, to replace the interim government of Gérard Latortue put in place after the 2004 Haiti rebellion, were delayed four times after having been originally scheduled for October and November 2005. The elections finally took place on February 7, 2006, with turnout of around 60%...
18.9 % of the popular vote and 13 out of 30 Senators and 23 out of 99 deputies in the Chamber of Deputies
Chamber of Deputies of Haïti
The Chamber of Deputies is the lower house of Haiti's bicameral legislature, the National Assembly. The upper house of the National Assembly is the Senate of Haiti. The Chamber has ninety-nine members who are elected by popular vote to four-year terms...
election. Lespwa's parliamentary caucus formed part of the governing coalition under Jacques-Édouard Alexis
Jacques-Édouard Alexis
Jacques-Édouard Alexis is a Haitian politician. He served as the Prime Minister of Haiti from 1999 to 2001 and was Prime Minister for a second term from 2006 to 2008 when he was dismissed due to political fallout from food riots....
, but soon formed a political alliance, the Coalition of Progressive Parliamentarians
Coalition of Progressive Parliamentarians
The Coalition of Progressive Parliamentarians is a political alliance in the National Assembly of Haiti, primarily in the lower house...
, that filed a motion of no confidence in Alexis' government during the 2008 food crisis. It has since rejected two of Preval's nominees for prime minister; through the electoral alliance, Lespwa's leaders have gained a majority in the Chamber.