On November 9, 2015, Interim U.S. Permanent Representative Michael J. Fitzpatrick addressed the OAS Permanent Council to laud the work of the OAS electoral observation mission to Haiti’s presidential elections carried out on October 25, 2015.
Mr. Chairman, my delegation wishes to take a moment to praise the ongoing efforts of the OAS Electoral Observation Mission in Haiti, headed by former Brazilian Foreign Minister and Minister of Defense, Celso Amorim, to ensure that the sovereign will of the Haitian people continues to be respected as we head into the final round of elections on December 27.
To that end we wish to highlight for the record the statement issued by the “Core Group” in Port-au-Prince on November 6 following the announcement of preliminary results on the first round of the presidential elections in Haiti on October 25th.
The United States joins the Special Representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations – along with the ambassadors of Brazil, Canada, France, Spain, the European Union and the OAS Special Representative in Haiti – taking note of the preliminary results and looking forward to the second round scheduled for the 27th of December, along with the local elections and the second round of legislative elections in certain constituencies.
The “Core Group” calls on all stakeholders to deal with any and all contestations in accordance with the Electoral Decree and in a transparent manner. Deploring the isolated acts of violence and vandalism observed following the announcement of the preliminary results, the “Core Group” also urges the Haitian authorities to apprehend and prosecute those responsible to the full extent of the law.
And finally, the “Core Group” reiterates its call on all actors to continue to participate in the electoral process with responsibility, respect and restraint, as the definitive results of the first round presidential elections and the preliminary results of the legislative and municipal elections are awaited.
The OAS’ work in Haiti underscores yet again the important role of these missions in strengthening democratic processes in our region. We congratulate the Secretariat for Political Affairs’ Department of Electoral Cooperation and Observation for a job well done thus far and wish them well as they continue their work in Haiti.
Thank you.
