OAS TO FACILITATE DIALOGUE IN HAITI

The Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), César Gaviria, acting on a request from the government of Haiti and in accordance with a recent resolution of the OAS Permanent Council, has asked Assistant Secretary General Luigi Einaudi to return to Haiti this week to facilitate a dialogue among the country's political forces.

"We are still working on the key issues and details of the dialogue process, and we hope to find ways to involve a broad cross-section of the country's political parties and civil society," said Ambassador Einaudi, who will arrive in Haiti on Friday, September 22.

The dialogue stems from OAS efforts to help resolve difficulties that have arisen as a result of Haiti's May 21 local and parliamentary elections. Elections for the post of President of the Republic and to fill nine Senate seats have been scheduled for November 26.

The OAS Permanent Council on August 4 called for a special mission to go to Haiti in order "to identify, together with the Government of Haiti and other sectors of the political community and civil society, options and recommendations for resolving, as expeditiously as possible, difficulties such as those that have arisen from differing interpretations of the Electoral Law, and for further strengthening democracy in that country." Secretary General Gaviria led the mission's initial visit to Haiti, which took place August 17 to 20.

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