The Assistant Secretary General of the Organisation of American States (OAS), Albert Ramdin, says the 15-member Caribbean Community (Caricom) grouping has a moral obligation to assist in the further development of Haiti.
“I believe that Caricom can play an enormously important role, and should take the lead in the debate and the direction in which the debate should go,” Ramdin said, when he met with Caricom Chairman, Prime Minister Tillman Thomas of Grenada on Monday, January 31st. Ramdin said the OAS is aware of the efforts of Caricom and the international community in Haiti, but he believes there is need to do more.
“There is a sequence here. Given the fact that the country is basically in a situation of uncertainty with regard to the political process, and we know that, in a period of elections, not much happens in terms of new initiatives, I think the main focus at this point in time should be the resolution of the electoral situation in Haiti.”
The Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) is expected to release the final results of the first round of the November 28 disputed presidential and legislative council elections on Wednesday, February 2nd.
Ramdin said focus should be on completing the electoral process through to the second round, scheduled for March 20, “in electing a democratically elected government”, and then come to the point of how to use the aid which has been provided effectively to improve the lives of the Haitian people.”
Ramdin, however, acknowledged that the political environment in Haiti has become “more complex” with the surprise return of ousted dictator Jean Claude Duvalier and the expressed desire of former president Jean Bertrand Aristide to return to the country. “That would not make the political process easier. We have to be cognisant of the fact that we do not need more instability in Haiti. We do not need more violence in Haiti, because instability and violence would not solve the political crisis as it exists.
“What we need is dialogue between all. “What we need is agreed political understanding on how to move forward also, in terms of governance, after the 7th of February, when officially the term of President Preval ends.” The OAS Assistant Secretary General said that the OAS wants all the political candidates to refrain from using inciting language, or “from calling their followers to go into the streets to demand satisfaction for whatever purpose they would wish”. (CMC)
