4 January 2017 – A senior United Nations official and the Security Council today joined the international community in congratulating the next President of Haiti, whose election completes a repeatedly delayed process that took over a year.

Sandra Honoré, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Haiti, and the other members of the so-called “Core Group” welcomed the announcement by the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) that Jovenel Moïse won the 20 November 2016 election.

The Core Group “encourages all actors to respect the final results and to work constructively toward the peaceful completion of the electoral cycle,” according to a statement, which also stressed the importance of keeping with the provisions of the Electoral Decree and an established calendar.

In addition to the United Nations, the Core Group includes the Ambassadors of Brazil, Canada, France, Spain, the United States, the European Union, and the Organization of American States.

In an afternoon in New York, the Security Council commended the Haitian Provisional Electoral Council and the Haitian National Police, as well as the people of Haiti on a “positive step” for the full restoration of the country’s democratic institutions.

In a press statement, the 15-member Council urged all political actors to accept the final electoral results, refrain from violence and work together.

Haiti has been led by an interim president since last February, when the Haitian National Assembly elected Jocelerme Privert one week after former President Michel Martelly departed without a successor. The election was originally scheduled for 24 April.

IMAGES:

Ballots being counted after the closing of Haiti’s national elections for the first round of Presidential and second and third round for senators, in Port au Prince, Haiti, November 20, 2016. Photo: UN/MINUSTAH/Logan Abassi

Upon delivery, the UN assisted with the distribution of the election materials. The mandate of Haiti’s President Michel Martelly had expired in February 2016, and not much later Jocelerme Privert became the Caribbean islands’ interim leader. UN Photo/ Logan Abassi

SOURCE: http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=55910#.WG5dFCMrIgs