GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) – The Eminent Persons Group (EPG) says it will provide a draft framework of accord for consideration by the various stakeholders in Haiti, even as it acknowledged that the French-speaking Caribbean Community (Caricom) country “continues to hurt”.

The EPG is led by the former prime minister of St Lucia Dr Kenny Anthony, and includes the former prime minister of Jamaica Bruce Golding, and his former Bahamian counterpart Perry Christie.

The group will initiate and oversee the Caribbean Community’s provision of good offices support in designated priority areas, including security, governance, the electoral process, and long-term development planning and advocacy. They will also liaise with key international partners and agencies.

A technical team, comprised of experts from Caricom member states, the Caricom Secretariat and regional specialised agencies is supporting the EPG.

The EPG members paid their third visit to Haiti during the period November 8-14, holding discussions with the various stakeholders with a view to finding a political compromise aimed at stabilising the country and promoting a democratic transition.

A statement issued by the EPG on Tuesday noted that the cycle of depredations and violence of the armed gangs continues, expanding to new areas and adding to the already high number of victims.

“The political actors, fully aware of this dire reality, continue their zero-sum approach to the efforts to reach an agreement that would bring an end to the protracted political deadlock, opening the way to address the other facets of the crisis,” the group said.

The EPG said it was buoyed initially on this latest visit “by the prospects raised by information that tentative agreement had been reached on some critical areas of convergence” following concessions made by Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry during informal discussions, led by a facilitator, which had taken place during the group’s absence.

The EPG said it sought to build on these points of agreement with regard to transitional governance arrangements for free and fair elections.

It said these points included the widening and strengthening of the attributes of the High Transition Council (HTC) to bring about a better balance of executive power, the composition of the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP), the designation of a body to oversee government action, and the establishment of an inclusive government of national unity.

“It was immediately apparent in the course of the EPG’s discussions that the earlier intransigent position of some sections of the opposition group insisting on the resignation of the prime minister as a pre-condition for meaningful discussions still prevailed,” the EPG said, adding that the governance concessions the prime minister was willing to make were brushed aside, perceived as an effort to prolong his tenure.

“Based on the encouraging responses of stakeholders to a proposal made by the EPG in the course of the engagements, the group will provide a draft framework of accord for their consideration and discussion that takes into account the points the stakeholders have raised in the course of these engagements,” the EPG said in its statement.