This is pure speculation on my part, but I have to wonder what the toll the past two years of the US-installed government has had on the ranks of good candidates with hundreds of community leaders and others imprisoned, thousands killed, others in exile and untold others unable safely to step forward into public life.

In the realm of pure fact, meanwhile, Jeb Sprague has done a simply incredible job uncovering the money trail from reactionary agencies of the U.S. government to phony "socialist" parties in Haiti running against Lavalas.

From his Flashpoints interview (posted on ZMag.org):

So basically what we have is the IRI working primarily on the municipal level in Haiti, not [as much] on the presidential level, but on the municipal level in Haiti to create these socialist coalitions, leftist coalitions, to oppose the popular party of the poor in Haiti, Fanmi Lavalas.

And also another FOIA that you will see on there is a $3 million grant from USAID to UNOPS, which is the UN's civil program in Haiti.  And there is a quote in their where UNOPS' first goal with this $3 million grant is to "even the playing field".  And what's also interesting is that reportedly Rene Preval's party is not taking any of this money from UNOPS, this $3 million grant, this money [and support] that is distributed. So what’s happening is that UNOPS is receiving this money from USAID to complete this election cycle, working with these groups that took part and supported the coup.

In addition to this manipulation of the elections by propping up or creating ostensibly left parties with vasts sums of money, what signs or protections do we have against fraud on the congressional and municipal levels?  Are there some candidates we can expect to track Preval's numbers in their own regions, or is that an unreasonable assumption?