Elections in Haiti: OAS mission urges actors to work together

Published on September 28, 2015
PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti -- The chief of the electoral observation mission of the Organization of American States (EOM/OAS) in Haiti, the former foreign minister and minister of defence of Brazil, Celso Amorim, has urged all actors in the electoral process to work together ahead of the upcoming presidential elections on October 25.
oas_logo.jpg "These elections can be a historic moment for Haiti," said Amorim, who last week visited the country on a preliminary mission that concluded on Saturday.
"For that to happen, all the actors -- government, political parties, electoral authorities and the population -- must help to overcome the existing obstacles and to create the conditions that will allow for the political, social and economic development of Haiti," he said.
During his visit, Amorim met with President Michel Joseph Martelly, who was accompanied by the minister of foreign relations, Lener Renauld, and the minister delegate for the elections, Jean Fritz Jean Louis; with the prime minister, Evans Paul; with the minister of justice, Pierre-Richard Casimir; and with the president of the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP), Pierre-Louis Opont.
In addition, he held working meetings with the presidential candidates, with the representative of the secretary general of the United Nations, Sandra Honoré, and with the director general of the National Police, Godson Orélus, as well as with civil society organizations and the international community.
The EOM/OAS was able to deepen its understanding of the obstacles encountered during the first round of legislative elections, held on August 9, and to exchange ideas on the corrective measures needed to overcome them, so make the presidential elections inclusive and to ensure they take place in an atmosphere of peace and tranquility.
In this sense, the mission underlined the importance of guaranteeing conditions of trust between all the participants.
The security of the voters during the election and the protection of the electoral process are also issues to which the EOM/OAS has paid particular attention in its meetings with authorities and political parties.
Several actors highlighted the incidents of violence in the past elections. The EOM emphasizes the importance of having adequate security during the presidential elections in October, which will help lend credibility to the electoral process. The continuity of the process according to the law and to established timetables, in an atmosphere of peace and trust, is essential to attaining political stability and the consolidation of democratic institutions.