The Group of Friends of Haiti at the Organization of American States (OAS) has expressed support for the holding of overdue Senate elections in Haiti in a “timely manner.”
The OAS said on Friday that the group, which met earlier this week at OAS headquarters here, under the chairmanship of Assistant Secretary General, Albert Ramdin, also “noted the timelines put forward for the holding of presidential elections.”
Ramdin reiterated the support of the OAS leadership for “a free, fair and transparent election process.”
On Tuesday, Haiti’s nine-member electoral council announced a new calendar for the holding of crucial legislative elections in July.
The council said the first round for 20 senators and the entire Lower Chamber will take place in July.
“Haiti is moving forward in several areas, and we hope the goal of growth for all people can be realized,” Ramdin said.
“Compromises have been made on all sides,” he added. “We look forward to the outcome of the political consultations on the proposed electoral calendar by the Electoral Council”
Ramdin said the OAS is “ready to support the process and to send an electoral observation team once the schedule has been finalized.”
Permanent Representative of Haiti to the OAS, Bocchit Edmond, said “significant achievements have been made in the last few months, as we attempt to overcome the obstacles to political dialogue and progress.
“We are hopeful that process will continue, so all of Haiti can move forward,” he said.
During the meeting, the OAS said an update was also presented on the progress made by the OAS Universal Civil Identity Project of the Americas (PUICA, for its Spanish initials) “on efforts to ensure the right to civil identity and voter registration cards for Haitians over the age of 18.”
