Laurent DuboisProfessor of romance studies and history, and co-director of the Duke Haiti Laboratory, Duke University.http://www.facebook.com/haitilab
Dubois has studied Haitian history and culture for a decade. He is currently working on a collaborative general history of the Caribbean (under contract with UNC Press).
Quote:"This isn't the first time a Haitian election has been impacted by accusations of fraud, but the stakes are enormous this time. "The elections are part of a tragic ‘Catch 22' for Haiti. In order to rebuild from the January earthquake, Haiti needs international donors to deliver money pledged for reconstruction, but the donor countries and organizations have been waiting for a successful outcome of this election to move forward with many projects. But the lack of progress in reconstruction itself has created a context in which carrying out such an election is extremely challenging. "It's not for a lack of democratic engagement on the part of the population, which is eager, even desperate, to vote and move forward. Now the question is how to get out of this impasse."