Finally Haiti's Election.

Following January 2010's devastating earthquake, a cholera outbreak, a chaotic election that failed to produce a winner and a twice delayed run-off vote it looks as though Haiti will finally be able to get on with it's reconstruction effort after a Presidential run-off poll is held on March 20th. As the Haitian constitution only allows for two candidates in a run-off the choice for Haiti's next President will be between Mirlande Manigat and Michel Martelly.

As a front runner since campaigning begun much is already known about the Marxist former First Lady, Mirlande Manigat and her dedication to a development model that has failed time and time again. However much less is known about her opponent, Michel Martelly. With no previous political experience and no major academic qualifications Martelly is probably best known by his stage persona - a singer of riotous songs who is famous for showing off his er, assets on stage. It would all too easy then to dismiss him as some sort of joke candidate or a low rent Wyclef Jean and I have to confess that in the early stages of the campaign I made that mistake and did just that. However after looking at his policies in more detail it's clear that behind the showman there is an intelligent man who understands the problems that Haiti faces and how to go about solving them.

In his post disaster exit module Martelly highlights that the two things the Haitian government needs to provide for the people to have a prosperous future are homes for the homeless and security for all citizens. More importantly he also understands that in order to provide these two things Haiti must first reform it's courts so innocent men no longer have to spend years in disgusting prisons waiting for a trial that may never come and the rich are no longer able to buy whatever verdict they want regardless of what the law says. In order to achieve this Martelly intends to reform the prison system so prisoners can no longer just get lost in the system and set up travelling courts that with bring justice to the rural areas where the law is rarely seen or heard. Most importantly he intends to reform the Judiciary in order to do away with corrupt judges.

Once Haiti has been given a functioning legal system Martelly intends to introduce lots of new environmental legislation. Not only will this make Haiti less vulnerable to hurricanes and tropical storms by reducing environmental damage it will allow the government to build new homes for those made homeless by the earthquake and those who were already living in the slums. Crucially these new houses will be planned developments meaning that they won't be built in areas that are at risk from floods and landslides and will have proper sewer systems to prevent the spread of diseases like cholera. In order to allow many ordinary Haitians to own and take pride in their homes for the first time Martelly is proposing tax breaks for the employed and government loans for the unemployed to help them buy these new properties.

In order to find jobs for the unemployed Martelly also intends to pass new business laws that will encourage foreign investment and make sure that the profits from this investment and from Haiti's natural resources are shared equally amongst the Haitian people. To make sure that Haiti stops becoming dependent on foreign investment and foreign aid Martelly intends to spend most of the development money on boosting Haiti's education and health care systems by building new schools and hospitals and re-equipping the existing ones while re-training and increasing the pay of teachers and medical staff.

The main criticism of Martelly is that he fully supports the role that the international aid agencies will have to play in Haiti's development and there is a suggestion that some of his policies come more from them then they do from him. Personally I think that's just a sign that Martelly is the sort of man who can recognise good advice when it's given to him and that's an essential quality for any President anywhere in the world. By contrast Mirlande Manigat's only plan for Haiti seems to be to get her elected as President because she can fix everything all by herself.

So if I was voting in the Haitian election I would vote for Michel Martelly.