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(E-054/00
March 17, 2000 
 

OAS SECRETARY GENERAL STATEMENT ON HAITI

 

The Organization of American States views with grave concern the impasse between the Government of Haiti and the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) to establish a definitive date for the Legislative, Municipal and Local Elections in Haiti. The OAS believes that the realization of these elections as soon as technically feasible is crucial for the democratic development of Haiti. It is the opinion of the OAS Observation Mission that, with a maximum effort by the CEP to complete the registration of voters, finalize the voter lists, train pollworkers and fulfill other necessary preparations, the date of April 9 can be maintained.

The OAS calls on the Government of Haiti to decree as soon as possible an election date that will allow for the completion of the necessary preparations and will permit the installation of a democratically-elected parliament on the constitutionally mandated June date. To not respect the constitutional requirements for seating parliament would represent a further disturbing weakening of the process of democratic consolidation in Haiti.

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