Senabri Silvestre
07 January 2016•Update: 07 January 2016
By Senabri Silvestre
SANTO DOMINGO, Dom. Rep.
Haiti´s opposition on Wednesday demanded the resignation of country’s election commission and the establishment of a provisional government to complete the ongoing election process with transparency.
The opposition, G8, is comprised of eight candidates, including Jude Celestin who received the second-highest vote total in the first round of the presidential election in October.
Celestin, who previously ran for president in 2010, said in a statement that it is impossible to participate in the upcoming run-off with members of The Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) -- the body responsible for organizing the Jan. 24 presidential and parliamentary elections. An independent investigation found numerous irregularities during the Oct. 25 polls, including about 30 percent of voters without proper identification.
In effort to help Haiti to complete the electoral process, U.S. Ambassador Tom Shannon will travel to Haiti, accompanied by Haiti Special Coordinator and Deputy Assistant Secretary Kenneth Merten, according to the agency.
"The elections will allow a new government and parliament to address the other challenges Haiti faces in achieving economic growth and sustainable development,” said State Department spokesman John Kirby.
“The ambassador will discuss the importance of Haiti as a longstanding partner of the United States and will reaffirm the broad-based nature of the bilateral relationship and U.S. support for Haiti’s social, economic, and political development," he said.
