The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) welcomes the news of the election of a new President of Haiti, Mr. René Preval. This has brought an end to the uncertainty surrounding the outcome of the Presidential elections. The decision came after a review was undertaken of the vote count process in the face of troubling allegations of manipulation and other grave irregularities.
CARICOM has also received an official communication from the Interim Prime Minister of Haiti informing of the election of Mr. Preval. CARICOM wishes to congratulate Mr. René Preval and the people of Haiti.
CARICOM Heads of Government at their Seventeenth Inter-Sessional Meeting held in Trinidad and Tobago on 9-10 February, 2006, indicated the Community’s willingness to welcome the return of Haiti to its Councils, on the basis of the electoral process having been certified as “free, fair and credible” by the groups monitoring the elections, including CARICOM’s own Elections Observation Mission.
The voting which took place on 7 February benefited from a high level of popular participation and an absence of political violence. It was generally seen as being free. For the process to be also fair and credible, however, there had to be transparency and rigour in the vote count to ensure that the results reflected the will of the electorate.
CARICOM is of the view that it is in the interest of all Haitians to respect the outcome of the Presidential elections, in keeping with the norms of the democratic process. The Community also calls on all involved in the ongoing electoral process to do everything necessary to enhance and preserve its credibility.
The preservation of the integrity of the electoral process is of paramount importance for the legitimacy of the government, the future stability of the country and the development of the Haitian society.
CARICOM SECRETARIAT
GEORGETOWN, GUYANA
