PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti (CMC) — Haitian lawmakers have called on the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) to keep to the deadline for publishing the final results of the November 20 presidential and legislative elections.

The Electoral Court Monday ordered a review of the preliminary results of the November 20 presidential elections, handing a lifeline to three political parties that have been challenging the victory of businessman Jovenelle Moise.

Last weekend, the CEP rejected a request by Famni Lavalas, Piti dessalin and LAPEH for a review. It also indicated that the operations of the Office of National Electoral Litigation (BCEN) did not fall within its purview, given that the BCEN is composed of three independent entities.

President of the Chamber of Deputies, Cholzer Chancy, is calling on the CEP to publish the final results of the presidential election on 29 December as scheduled on the electoral calendar.

Deputy of Delmas Gary Bodeau, who is also the Quaestor of the Office of the Lower House, said the decisions of BCEN must be technical and not political.

“The popular vote cannot be defiled or invalidated. The elections are over. Advisers must fully assume their responsibilities by publishing the results on December 29th.”

Bodeau said that the strategy of dragging the electoral process beyond the 7th of February to prevent the installation of the President-elect is undemocratic.

“The CTV, the BCEN or the CEP cannot mortgage the future of 10 million Haitians. The hardliner or daring has its limits,” Bodeau added.

But former Senator Yvon Feuillé, a representative of Fanmi Lavalas, believes that the CEP must apply the decree by excluding Moïse from the race for the presidency.

The Electoral Court in its ruling ordered that 12 per cent of randomly drawn presidential minutes be verified and that the verification exercise be carried out in the presence of the parties concerned and the national and international electoral observation organizations.

The court has set no deadline for completing the process.