November 18, 1999

BARBADIAN TO LEAD OAS MONITORS TO HAITI ELECTIONS

 

Organization of American States (OAS) Secretary General César Gaviria has appointed Orlando Marville of Barbados to head up the Electoral Observation Mission for the legislative, municipal and local government elections in Haiti, scheduled for March 19, 2000. The Observation Mission, requested by the Government of Haiti, will be monitoring the entire electoral process leading to the balloting in March.

From 1995 to 1999, Ambassador Marville served as Assistant Secretary General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). He joined the Foreign Service of Barbados in 1973, serving in the Embassy in Washington, D.C. and in the Permanent Mission of Barbados to the United Nations in New York. In 1984 Ambassador Marville served as Charge d’ Affairs in the Embassy in Caracas, Venezuela and in 1987 was appointed Ambassador to the European Union, where he served for eight years.

Ambassador Marville has extensive experience in Haiti. Among other roles, he served as an election observer to Haiti in 1997 and in 1998, served as the chief negotiator for Haiti’s entry into CARICOM. He also recently participated as a member of a CARICOM mission to Haiti led by Prime Minister Sir James Mitchell of Saint Vincent and The Grenadines, dispatched to review the electoral situation.

Ambassador Marville will visit Washington, D.C. in December to meet with the Secretary General before departing for Haiti to make initial contact with Haitian officials and other sectors involved in the electoral process, as well as with key representatives of the international community in Port-au-Prince.

The Organization of American States has played an instrumental role in helping to restore and consolidate democracy in Haiti. Since 1993, it has contributed to these efforts particularly through its involvement in the joint OAS/UN International Civilian Mission (MICIVIH) in that Caribbean country.

 

 

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