WASHINGTON, United States (CMC) — The Organization of American States (OAS) said on Tuesday that its General Secretariat was “closely monitoring the current situation in Haiti,” and that it was “concerned with the respect for human rights and the independence of powers”.

“The OAS General Secretariat has an essential interest in the protection of democratic institutions and the political rights of its citizens,” said the OAS in a statement.

“It is fundamental that state institutions work together to resolve the problems afflicting Haiti. We call for democratic structural changes in Haiti through the discussion of a new Constitution and an effective participation in general elections this year.”

The OAS said that its General Secretariat “renews its support for the electoral process as the only option consistent with the Democratic Charter to replace the current constitutional president with another president on February 7, 2022”.

On Monday, opposition parties in Haiti declared 72-year-old judge Joseph Mecene Jean-Louis the country’s interim leader, a day after an alleged coup plot was foiled, as they insisted that President Jovenel Moise must step down.

In a video message, Jean-Louis, the longest-serving judge in the Supreme Court, said he “accepted the choice of the opposition and civil society, to serve (his) country as interim president for the transition”.

Moise, who has ruled by decree since mid-January, has stated he would hand over power to the winner of the elections but would not step down until his term expires in 2022.

But the opposition has rejected his interpretation of the constitution and has insisted his term came to an end on Sunday.

“We are waiting for Jovenel Moise to leave the National Palace, so that we can get on with installing Mecene Jean-Louis,” opposition figure Andre Michel told international news agency AFP.

Former senator Youri Latortue said that the transition period was expected to last around 24 months.

“There’s a two-year road map laid out, with the establishing of a national conference, the setting out of a new constitution and the holding of elections,” he said.

On Sunday, Haiti Prime Minister Joseph Jouthe said Supreme Court judge Hiviquel Dabrezil and inspector general for the national police force, Marie Louise Gauthier, were among 23 people who were detained for their role in an alleged plot to oust President Moise.

On Saturday, Caribbean American Congresswoman Yvette D Clarke co-led a letter with US House of Representatives’ Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Congressman Gregory Meeks to US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken urging the Biden administration to “unambiguously reject the undemocratic actions of President (Jovenel) Moïse to retain power in Haiti”.

Clarke, the daughter of Jamaican immigrants, who represents the 9th Congressional District in Brooklyn, New York, said the letter was supported by a number of their congressional colleagues, including Albio Sires (NJ-08), chairman, Western Hemisphere Subcommittee; Andy Levin (MI-09); Alcee L. Hastings (FL-20); Ilhan Omar (MN-05); and Darren Soto (FL-09).

In their letter, Clarke and Meeks, who represents the 5th Congressional District in Queens, New York, congratulated Blinken’s confirmation as the new US Secretary of State, stating that they “look forward to reclaiming America’s moral leadership on the world stage”.

“In that spirit, we write to express great concern about ongoing developments in Haiti,” they said. “As Members of Congress, who believe deeply in democracy and the rule of law. We feel it is essential that the United States unambiguously reject any attempt by President Moïse to retain power in contravention of those principles.

“The time for a Haitian-led democratic transition is now,” Clarke and Meeks stressed. “We cannot parse words: President Moïse has lost credibility. He has been ruling by decree since January 2020, and although he pays homage to forthcoming elections, he insists they can only occur after the completion of dubious constitutional reforms.”

“His attempt to unilaterally name the members of the body that would certify the results of a future election also demands scrutiny,” the legislators added. “His extra-constitutional decrees — including the establishment of a domestic intelligence force, the unilateral appointment of key officials, and the harsh criminalisation of acts of protest — must be called out for exactly what they are: attempts to hold onto the Presidency at the expense of the democratic process.”

Clarke and Meeks said the human rights situation in Haiti is “equally perilous,” making it clear that “civil rights are under siege,” and adding that “those who advocate for them are often facing literal attacks”.

“Seemingly, state-sanctioned violence targets those who challenge the state,” they said. “Victims of such violence have no path towards accountability and justice.”

Meanwhile, the US lawmakers said Haiti remains gripped in “a cascade of economic, public health and political crises”.

They said that members of the opposition have sent President Moïse an “unmistakable message that his term must end on February 7”.

Clarke and Meeks said there have also been “clear calls for a legitimate transitional government to be promptly established, so that democratic elections can resume”.

“The people of Haiti deserve a voice in their own governance, and the United States must extend its own voice to that critical cause,” they said. “We look forward to working with you to advance democracy, the rule of law, and human rights around the world.

“To that end, we hope that the State Department will closely monitor the unfolding events in Haiti, take swift steps to condemn President Moïse’s undemocratic actions and support the establishment of a transitional government,” Clarke and Meeks urged Blinken.

A senior police official was also among the 23 people detained on Sunday with money, guns and ammunition, Prime Minister Jouthe said.

“These people had contacted national palace security officials, high-ranking officers of the national palace whose mission was to arrest the president and also to facilitate the installation of a new president,” Jouthe told reporters in Port-au-Prince, the Haitian capital.

On Friday, the US government called on the Haitian administration to hold talks to resolve the crisis, saying that a newly-elected president should succeed President Moise when his term ends on February 2, 2022.