Former Jamaican Prime Minister PJ Patterson, the Caribbean Community’s (Caricom’s) Special Representative on Haiti, says the March 20 presidential election in the French-speaking country is “a welcome victory for democracy”.
The election was won by 50-year-old musician Michael ‘Sweet Micky’ Martelly, who received at least 70 per cent of the votes. His only challenger was the former Haitian First Lady Mirlande Manigat, 70, who has since said she will not contest the preliminary result. The final results will be known on April 16.
Patterson, who was addressing the United Nations Security Council, said that the outcome of the election was “a testament to what can be achieved through partnership”.
He said the incumbent leadership of Haiti, the operators of the electoral system, and the political contestants working together with external support from International and regional organisations and a number of committed nations, all combined to overcome formidable odds.
“It represents a welcome victory for democracy, which must not fail to be rewarded by a premium to enhance the success of reconstruction efforts during this phase of democratic transition and throughout the tenure of the new political administration,” he said.
Patterson told the UN Security Council that 15 months after the magnitude-7 earthquake that killed an estimated 300,000 Hatians and left more than a million others homeless last year, there had been much “fanfare” when the Action Plan for the Reconstruction of Haiti was adopted by the international community.
He said it was perceived then that the reconstruction project would have been “led, steered and driven by Haiti”.
He said while no one can question the four main pillars upon which the reconstruction programme was based, “if Haiti is really to exercise leadership in the process of reconstruction and the development of its people, we only delude ourselves if we expect the government of Haiti to deliver a load in the absence of an adequate and administrative capacity”. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)
