OAS supports October 25 presidential elections in Haiti
WASHINGTON, DC, USA (CMC) — The Organization of American States (OAS) says it supports the holding of the first round of presidential elections in Haiti on October 25.
It said that the director of the Department for Electoral Cooperation and Observation (DECO), Gerardo De Icaza, has since travelled to the French-speaking Caribbean Community country as preparations continue for the polls.
The OAS said that De Icaza will hold high-level meetings with the electoral authority and political actors in Port-au-Prince in support of the holding of the upcoming elections.
In addition, the Chief of the Electoral Observation Mission (EOM) to the elections, former Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim will make a preliminary visit to Haiti on September 21, during which he will be accompanied by the Deputy Chief of Mission Cristobal Dupouy.
“Moreover, to continue strengthening the electoral process ahead of the first round of voting in the presidential elections, the EOM/OAS has delivered recommendations of an operational nature based on observations during the August 9 elections to the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP),” the OAS said.
At least 54 candidates are seeking to replace the outgoing President Michel Martelly, who has been ruling the island by decree since January after the parliament failed to hold scheduled elections.
A number of candidates have accused the CEP of not being able to conduct free and fair elections and have been calling for the resignation of its leadership.
Meanwhile, the candidates for the political party, VERITE, have endorsed a decision to withdraw from the electoral race in protest against the CEP.
VERITE’s general coordinator Gérard Joseph said that the candidates supported the withdrawal and called for the establishment of a new CEP.
But CEP President Pierre-Louis Opont said he would not step down.
“Political parties have the full right to contest the election process. It is not the CEP which is responsible for various acts of violence and ransacking of polling stations,” he said.
Meantime, the Government said it is prepared to fund political parties contesting the elections on October 25.
Minister Delegate to the Prime Minister for the electoral matter, Jean Fritz Jean Louis said political parties must meet certain requirements before receiving the funds.
He said political parties that received funding for the first round of the elections on August 9 must submit a preliminary report on the use of these funds.
