BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP):
THE EUROPEAN Union congratulated René Preval on his election as Haitian president yesterday and urged politicians and others to work for national reconciliation to bring economic and social stability to their troubled Caribbean country.
"The European Union congratulates René Preval on his new mandate and reaffirms its lasting commitment to the people and authorities of Haiti in their efforts to rebuild and develop their country," the EU said in a statement.
"It is vital that all political and social forces make national reconciliation the watchword for the dialogue they pursue, in order to achieve the political, economic and social stability that the country needs for its development."
In the Feb. 7 elections, Preval received four times as many votes as his nearest rival. He was declared the victor after the electoral council agreed to divide 85,000 blank ballots among the 33 candidates proportionally giving Preval the 51 percent he needed to avoid a runoff.
The elections marked "an important step forward for the democratic process" in Haiti, said the EU statement.
AP-NY-02-21-06 1044EST
