News Americas, WASHINGTON, D.C., Tues. July 24, 2012: Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe has expressed the need for the Permanent Electoral Council, once established, to announce a timetable for the holding of municipal elections in Haiti.
Haitian President Michel Martelly announced last month the creation of a permanent election panel to oversee the vote. He named a director to the nine-member body, but the other seats have yet to be filled.
The PM and Secretary General of the Organization of American States, José Miguel Insulza, met at the OAS Headquarters in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday July 24, 2012.
The election seeks to fill 10 seats in the 30-member Senate. The terms of those seats expired in May because elections weren’t held in time. The race will include posts for mayors throughout the country.
Lamothe and Insulza agreed to explore areas and means of support which could be provided by the Organization of American States to Haiti’s electoral institutions.
The prime minister also acknowledged the work of the OAS/CIDA civil registry program in Haiti, reaffirmed his government’s support for this program and stated that his government was counting on OAS support for the implementation of the second phase of the project.
The secretary general renewed the commitment of the OAS to continue supporting the Haitian people and their legitimate authorities. He restated the willingness of the OAS to continue the higher education program for Haitian professionals and the process of civil registration for Haitians, so that the state can guarantee each citizen’s right to an identity document and to vote.
The prime minister and the secretary general also jointly pledged to support the initiatives of the Group of Friends of Haiti and the Haiti Task Force as mechanisms for strengthening ties between Haiti and the OAS.
Prime Minister Lamothe delivered an official letter to the Secretary General reiterating the decision by the Republic of Haiti to host the forty-fifth regular session of the OAS General Assembly in early June 2015.
Secretary General Insulza and Prime Minister Lamothe both reaffirmed their dedication to the democratic and social values, enshrined in the OAS Democratic Charter to ensure that the social and political rights of all citizens in the Western Hemisphere are respected.
