25772: Durban (Pub): Press Release from Norway (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Lance Durban <lpdurban@yahoo.com>

There are indeed a lot of people (and countries) trying to help
Haiti...
LPD

  Press release from Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
  No.: 84/05                                Date: 15.06.2005

Electoral Pact signed in Haiti
"By signing the electoral pact, you, the political leaders of
Haiti, have committed yourselves to ensuring free and fair
elections," said State Secretary Vidar Helgesen in his address
at the signing ceremony in Port-au-Prince on 14 June. The
election pact provides a code of conduct for the political
parties in the election campaign and in the election process
itself, with particular focus on respect for the rule of law and
renunciation of the use of violence.

A total of four million Haitians will go the ballot box this
autumn. Local elections will be held on 9 October and elections
for the national assembly and the president will be held in two
rounds, on 13 November and 18 November. Since Jean-Bertrand
Aristide was relieved of his presidential duties and exiled in
February, Haiti has been governed by an interim government
supported by the multinational United Nations Stabilization
Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH). Norway has been a driving force in
the efforts to establish a political dialogue and a code of
conduct agreed on by the parties taking part in the election.
Norway co-operates closely with Norwegian Church Aid in its
engagement in Haiti.

State Secretary Vidar Helgesen pointed out that the electoral
pact process has resulted in a dialogue between political
parties that have not previously been willing to communicate
with each other. This had made it impossible to hold democratic
elections in Haiti. "A national dialogue is essential to ensure
the success of the election," said Mr Helgesen.

The pact is the result of close consultations with the political
groups in Haiti, which have been arranged by the
Norwegian-financed Institute for Advanced Social and Political
Studies (ISPOS) in co-operation with the Norwegian Ministry of
Foreign Affairs.

"The main challenge now is to ensure that all the parties comply
with the electoral pact. This will require pressure from the
international community as a whole," said Mr Helgesen. Norway
will host a new meeting between the political parties in Oslo in
August for further discussions on the election campaign and
process.