Above: UN Special Representative Sandra Honore
By the Caribbean Journal staff
The United Nations is welcoming the Haitian Parliament’s recent vote on the Electoral Law, MINUSTAH Chief Sandra Honore said in a statement issued Friday.
The law, which helps paves the way for long-delayed elections in the country, was passed by the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate this week. Elections were originally slated for November 2011.
Honore, who is the Special Representative of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in Haiti, was joined in the statement by the Ambassadors of Brazil, Canada, France, Spain, the United States, the European Union and the Organization of American States.
“This vote marks an important step for the organisation of inclusive, transparent and democratic elections,” the group said in the statement. “The above-mentioned representatives urge all relevant actors to continue their concerted work to deepen democracy and stability in Haiti which are essential for the country’s socio-economic development.”
The UN and other international actors have urged Haiti to hold the elections before the end of this year. Even with the passage of the vote, it’s not clear if that will be possible.