The Delegation of the European Union in Haiti expresses its concerns about the general situation of the country which, faced with major and urgent challenges, has been waiting for nearly two months pending the ratification of a new government.

On the economic front, the gourde continues to down, poverty worsens and investment is at a standstill. On the political front, strong tensions have provoked serious social unrest as well as a serious deterioration of security and the situation of human rights; Moreover, these tensions pose uncertainties about the holding of the legislative elections scheduled for next October.

In this context, the Delegation of the European Union reminds all the actors of the urgency of holding an honest and inclusive inter-Haitian dialogue, without preconditions, with a view to achieving a unifying national project. Integrating the political and economic sectors as well as civil society, this dialogue should lead to a consensus as soon as possible on the reforms to be undertaken to strengthen institutions, improve public financial management and stimulate investment for the purpose to better meet the basic needs of the population.

The establishment of a new government should provide an opportunity to accelerate the implementation of reforms in accordance with the commitments made by the Haitian State and to continue the actions in terms of accountability, facilitating the completion of ongoing legal procedures in Haiti. It is also urgent to ensure a full investigation of human rights violations, including the events in La Saline, and to ensure the protection of citizens and human rights defenders. In this context, the government can count on the support offered by the EU as well as by other actors in the international community.

The dialogue process should also create the conditions conducive to the completion of parliamentary elections, in accordance with the timetable provided for in the Constitution, thus avoiding an institutional vacuum, while allowing citizens to express their views on the future of the country in a democratic way.

The holding of a fair, open and transparent electoral process is based in particular on the adoption of the draft electoral law prepared by the Provisional Electoral Council, the allocation of a new mandate to this Council, the adoption of the necessary budgets for the organization of elections, the updating of electoral rolls and the issue of new identity cards.

S/ HaitiLibre