Elections would allow Haitians to move
beyond an unhappy period, he says
Washington - Haiti's presidential
and legislative elections should move forward in a timely manner, according
to the U.S. State Department.
The January 8 elections that originally were scheduled for November 2005 already have been postponed three times, and although there has been no official announcement, there is considerable speculation that elections might be postponed a fourth time. A possible postponement stems in part from logistical problems, particularly with distribution of voter registration cards.
The United States is in close contact with all involved parties regarding the Haitian elections, including Haiti's acting president, members of the electoral commission and the Organization of American States (OAS). In a January 4 briefing, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said that it is "essential that the elections move forward."
"We're going to work very closely with our partners, with the representatives of the Haitian people, to see that there are good elections that the Haitian people can have confidence in," he said. "It's essential for Haiti in order to be able to turn the page on what has been an unhappy chapter in Haiti's history."
McCormack indicated that the United States expects Haitian officials will iron out the current logistical challenges, but did not suggest a timeline for them to do so.
The State Department official added that even though Haitian authorities ultimately must decide whether to postpone the upcoming elections, the United States will continue to work with all interested parties to move the election process forward.
"It is important that the elections happen in a timely manner," he said. "And we are going to be working with the Haitian authorities as well as others to see that that happens."
(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)