GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) — The Caribbean Community (Caricom) Election Observer Mission (CEOM) that monitored Sunday’s presidential and legislative elections in Haiti said Tuesday that it was generally pleased with the conduct of the long-delayed poll.

In a statement, the CEOM said that it had observed more than 300 polling stations and that the officers of Haiti’s Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) “not only displayed an improved competence, but a uniform execution of their duties”, on Sunday.

It said it visited polling stations in three districts in and neighbouring the capital city Port-au-Prince, including areas affected by Hurricane Matthew that tore through the country on October 4.

CEOM said that it noted “the bold step by the CEP to convene the elections so close after Hurricane Matthew had wreaked havoc on the country” and that in its initial assessments, it was assured the Haitian election management body was well prepared.

“Staff were trained, committed and dedicated to effectively conduct the elections for president and senators. The CEOM, with its tested and proven technical officers from six Caricom member States, collectively visited and keenly monitored well over 300 polling stations.

“The overall considered opinion is that compared with the 25 October 2015 poll, on this occasion the CEP officers at the polling stations not only displayed an improved competence, but a uniform execution of their duties. The team attributed this noticeable amelioration to the training of poll staff conducted by the CEP. With few exceptions the poll staff treated CEOM members with the utmost respect, and demonstrated a genuine willingness to accommodate queries,” the statement said.

The CEOM, which was led by the chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Dr Steve Surujbally, said it would specify and recommend new improvements in its final report, but noted that many of the lapses observed were “not of any great consequence or of the nature to disturb the electoral results”.

“It is worthy of note that many of the suggestions documented by the CEOM following the elections of 25 October 2015, were incorporated into the CEP’s Training Programme and were used on E-Day, 20 November 2016.

“The CEOM urges all political parties and their candidates to ensure that their post-electoral behaviour coincides with the law of the land, the tenets associated with electoral processes, and internationally accepted standards and best practice,” the statement noted.

No official results are expected to be issued for eight days, and the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) Executive Director Uder Antoine has said it might take longer than that.

At least six million Haitians were eligible to vote for one of 27 presidential candidates, as well as for members of both houses of Parliament in elections that had been repeatedly delayed for various reasons.

The presidential candidates included: Jovenel Moise, a plantation owner, chosen by the ruling PHTK (“the Bald Heads Party), and Jude Celestin of the LAPEH Party of former President Michel Martelly.

Celestin had placed second in the 2015 ballot that subsequently was cancelled. The other candidates include Maryse Narcisse, who was a spokeswoman for former president Jean-Bertrand Aristide, who had endorsed Narcisse and encouraged his supporters to take to the streets in protest if her candidacy failed.

Haiti has been without an elected head of state after Martelly left office in February and Jocelerme Privert was elected as the Interim president.

Under the current timetable, the new president will not take office until February 7 but the elections cycle wouldn’t end until April 2017 — more than two years after elections began.