PORT-AU-PRINCE, (Reuters) – Haiti’s presidential campaign is barely under way and election officials are already under fire for barring the candidacy of former prime minister Laurent Lamothe, who hoped to succeed his former boss, President Michel Martelly.

Lawyers for the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) yesterday ruled Lamothe lacked the required “discharge,” a routine investigation of government ministers into their use of public funds.

“The CEP’s decision confirms the arbitrary nature of the electoral process in Haiti, a real threat to democracy,” Lamothe wrote on Twitter Wednesday morning.

Lamothe’s campaign accused Martelly of trying to manipulate election officials to prevent him from running. The campaign says its internal polling shows Lamothe is the clear front runner.

“There is a clear political motivation of what is supposed to be an independent court – and it is being manipulated by those who do not want to see Lamothe as a candidate,” said an adviser to the Lamothe campaign.