Above: Port-au-Prince (CJ Photo)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

After months of urging by the international community, Haiti’s government has established a transitional college of its Permanent Electoral Council, a move that paves the way for long-awaited legislative elections, according to the National Palace.

A chorus of international critics, particularly the United Nations’ Mariano Fernandez and Nigel Fisher, had called for months for the government to move forward and hold the vote, but it could not be done without the establishment of the council.

Political disagreements prevented that from happening until this week.

According to a statement from the National Palace, the council was announced by presidential decree on April 5, and officially published on Friday.

The structure will organize the upcoming elections, which will involve races for Senate seats and municipal and local offices.

The council is composed of three members from each of the three branches of government: from the legislative branch, the members are Pierre Simon Georges, Nehemy Joseph and Marie Clunie Dumay Miracles.

Four the Executive branch, the members are Jean Marie Vianney Emmanuel Menard, Jacqueline Patricia Chantale Raymond and Gloria Margarette.

Leopold Berlanger, Marie Carole Floreal Duclervil and Applys Felix will represent the judicial branch.

The government did not yet announce when the elections might take place.