--- title: Haiti’s Precarious Election: Between Crisis and Optimism | TIME description: United Nations troops struggle to maintain security during Haiti’s presidential election despite growing discontent over their presence in the country canonical: https://time.com/video/59DEkETW/ og:title: Haiti’s Precarious Election: Between Crisis and Optimism og:description: United Nations troops struggle to maintain security during Haiti’s presidential election despite growing discontent over their presence in the country og:url: https://time.com/video/59DEkETW/ og:image: https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/59DEkETW/poster.jpg?width=720 og:type: video.other twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Haiti’s Precarious Election: Between Crisis and Optimism twitter:description: United Nations troops struggle to maintain security during Haiti’s presidential election despite growing discontent over their presence in the country twitter:image: https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/59DEkETW/poster.jpg?width=720 --- # Haiti’s Precarious Election: Between Crisis and Optimism > Sponsored content. 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They are at time.com/newsletters and are separate from a paid subscription. ## Video: Haiti’s Precarious Election: Between Crisis and Optimism [Watch (HLS stream): Haiti’s Precarious Election: Between Crisis and Optimism](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/59DEkETW.m3u8) (5:06)  _Published 2010-12-02. United Nations troops struggle to maintain security during Haiti’s presidential election despite growing discontent over their presence in the country_ --- Jul 27, 2023 3:07 PM UTC --- ## More From This Series [All Videos](https://time.com/video/) [Rape in Haiti's Tent Cities](/video/MBNROf9c/) ### Rape in Haiti's Tent Cities [Reviving Jacmel: Haiti's Cultural Capital](/video/E4fH423X/) ### Reviving Jacmel: Haiti's Cultural Capital [Running With the Looters in Haiti's Capital](/video/tZw9fouL/) ### Running With the Looters in Haiti's Capital --- ## Transcript >> Michel " Sweet Micky" Martelly is a popular Haitian singer and a leading presidential candidate. Today, Wyclef Jean has joined him to campaign in Port- au- Prince. -[ unk ] >> In other parts of the city, his supporters are out in full force taunting his opponents. They are also sending a word of warning to the Haitian police and to U. N. forces. -[ unk ] >> For the 8, 468 U. N. troops, station in Haiti right now gaining public approval as proving one more challenging. Some Haitians see the U. N. troops as foreign occupiers and many blame Nepalese U. N. soldiers for introducing the recent outbreak of cholera that is rapidly spreading across the country. Two days before the election, cholera victims were loaded into mass graves. This suspicion adds to the already difficult job of securing a safe and legitimate election. >> We are working together to make this happens and to allow people to vote as a civic rights. >> Major General Paul Cruz is the top U. N. force commander in Haiti. He says the key to reclaiming Haitian support is to work with locals and then institutions. >> We worked with the humanitarians. We worked with NGOs. We are part of the environments. We are part of the local communities and they enhance their confidence on our troops throughout all those years. >> U. N. troops have been building relationships in Haiti since their arrival in 2004 following an armed conflict that sent the Haitian President Bertrand Aristide into exile. How did you feel about the security with the upcoming presidential election? Many Haitians we spoke to say the troops make them feel much safer. Other Haitians fear their stay may become permanent. Cruz says the U. N. troops will remain in Haiti until the country's own security forces are ready to take over. >> Everything we do is taking in developing Haitian capabilities, so we work together with the security forces in the country and we cooperate with them as much as possible. >> A smooth election will go a long way in securing an eventual withdrawal of U. N. troops from Haiti. But the logistics are proving to be outrageously difficult for a country that has only begun to rebuild an infrastructure. The January 2010 quake that kills more than 250, 000 people, also destroyed voter rolls polling places and most of the country's election bureau headquarters. Around the country, Haitians waited for hours on end to receive their voter ID cards. A daunting task considering the earthquake left many without any personal identification. -[ Foreign Language ] >> Once voters got their ID cards, poll workers search to find their name on the long voting rolls. Some of which are incomplete. Then the voters put their ballots in the boxes voting for president, senator and legislator representative. Afterwards, the voter's right thumb stained in purple ink. At this point in place, patience gives way to anger after rumors of election fraud emerged. Michel Martelly supporters charged in and toast ballots into a drainage canal. Many wonder if a fair, peaceful vote will prevail on hills of Haiti's worst year ever as a republic. But Major General Cruz remains optimistic. He says Haiti has seen great achievements this year, but expect the U. N. remains in Haiti until its citizens are safe. >> If they are happy, if they have hope for the future and they understand that the kids will be okay going to school and back, so the country will be ready to continue. >> So much is at stake for Haiti in the coming weeks and months. If Haiti doesn't elect the credible president, if the country doesn't achieve stability, the International Communities Goodwill may have operate. What country wants to throw money into a burning pit? Haitians are waiting for a leader to emerge, one who will be faithful in many challenges. TIME video, this is Rich Benjamin. ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Haiti’s Precarious Election: Between Crisis and Optimism","description":"United Nations troops struggle to maintain security during Haiti’s presidential election despite growing discontent over their presence in the country","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/59DEkETW/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2010-12-02T01:38:35.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/59DEkETW.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/video/59DEkETW/","duration":"PT5M6S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/video/59DEkETW/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}} ```