Washington (CMC):
Secretary General of the Organisation of American States (OAS) José Miguel Insulza has hailed as a significant step towards building the country's future on democracy, the final decision to declare René Preval the winner in Haiti's February 7 presidential elections.
Haiti's Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) decided, by a 7 to 2 vote, early Thursday morning to declare Preval the President of Haiti, after he garnered the majority of the votes in the presidential elections.
Insulza said: "The Provisional Electoral Council has taken a decision, which we should all respect. This has been a historic election for Haiti, given the voter turnout and the calm that prevailed on election day," he said, expressing delight with this important move for the future of Haiti, which is of utmost importance."
Insulza said he hoped the CEP's decision would boost institutional strengthening in Haiti, and urged Preval to invite his political opponents to engage in dialogue, so that together they can change Haiti's situation.
The OAS Secretary General had arrived in Haiti on Wednesday in the wake of the outbreak of violence, for three successive days, after supporters of Preval took to the streets demanding that he be declared the clear winner without a run-off.
Insulza held a series of meetings, including ones with the United Nations Representative in Haiti, Juan Gabriel ValdEs, and leaders of the main organisations involved in the electoral process, to seek a post-election settlement.
Concerning reports of irregularities in the elections, Insulza said there was no fraud, the votes were properly counted.
Despite some reports, there should be no talk about fraud, he added, and nobody can prove there were irregularities. Such reports will undoubtedly be put to rest.
Insulza said the election results should boost relations between Haiti and its next-door neighbours, the Dominican Republic, in their quest to find a joint solution to the issue of migration between the two countries.
He urged continued support for Haiti regionally and internationally, noting that Haiti is certainly a place in which a number of countries of the region have taken an interest, and I hope they will continue to support the cause of Haitians.
The international community should continue to support the Haitian process as an expression of commitment by Latin America and the Caribbean, he said, to support Haitians in their bid to strengthen their democracy.
It would be a mistake to withdraw, because the majority of Haitians and the new government believe they need support from the international community, and this effort must continue, Insulza added.
