Lespwa

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Lespwa, or Front de l'Espoir (Hope Front), was a Haitian political coalition led by René Préval. It was founded in 2005 and dissolved on November 28, 2009, as many members joined Unity (Inité). The group wasbased in Port-au-Prince and followed populist ideas. It included many former members of Fanmi Lavalas, Aristide’s party. Although Lavalas publicly boycotted elections, it supported Préval, seeing his victory as a return to peace and democracy. In the February 2006 presidential election, Préval won with 51.21% after all votes were counted.

In the 2006 elections, Lespwa won 18.9% of the national vote for the Senate (13 of 30 senators) and 23 of 99 deputies in the Chamber of Deputies. The party’s parliamentary group was part of the governing coalition under Prime Minister Jacques-Édouard Alexis, but later formed the Coalition of Progressive Parliamentarians and helped push a no-confidence motion during the 2008 food crisis. They also rejected two of Préval’s prime minister nominees, and through their alliance Lespwa’s leaders gained a majority in the Chamber.

Lespwa was dissolved in November 2009 in favor of Unity (Inité), the continuation of many Préval supporters.