27002: Wharram (info) United States Voices Support for Haitian Elections (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

Created: 22 Dec 2005 Updated: 22 Dec 2005

USINFO

United States Voices Support for Haitian Elections
State Department's Burns meets with Haitian and international officials in
Haiti

The elections scheduled for January 8, 2006, in Haiti represent an
opportunity for Haitians to overcome past challenges, renew their society
and form a government that will provide peace and stability, says Under
Secretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns.

Burns traveled to Haiti December 20 and met with Haiti Interim Prime
Minister Gerald Latortue, representatives of Haiti's civil society, United
Nations officials, officials from the Organization of American States (OAS)
and Haiti's Electoral Council.

Burns told reporters December 20 that his trip aimed to underscore U.S.
support for Haiti's presidential and legislative elections.

"We think this is an extremely important time in the history of Haiti,"
Burns said.

The State Department official said the United States is pleased that
Latortue is committed to the January 8, 2006, date and that all the
officials with whom he met in Haiti agreed the elections must go forward as
planned. (See related article.)

Burns also cited ongoing challenges that must be met for successful
elections, particularly with respect to the distribution of voter cards.  He
urged the Haitian government and international election officials to mount a
public campaign to remind citizens to vote and to explain the different ways
to register.

Burns said all the officials with whom he met in Haiti condemned the
violence in Haiti in past months.  He stressed that the U.N. peacekeeping
mission in Haiti, known by the acronym MINUSTAH, is dedicated to ensuring
that violence does not play a role in the elections.

The United States is "hoping for a positive and successful election" and is
"already looking beyond the election to the creation of a new government,"
Burns said.

The United States, he said, remains a good friend of Haiti, having extended
more than $400 million in assistance to Haiti in the last 18 months. The
United States plans to commit at least $116 million in 2006 to help the
Haitian people, he added.

For additional information on U.S. policy, see Haiti.

Following is a transcript of Burns' press conference:

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of Public Affairs
December 22, 2005

Remarks to the Press Upon Departure From Haiti
Nicholas Burns, Under Secretary for Political Affairs
Airport Lounge
Port-au-Prince, Haiti

December 20, 2005

UNDER SECRETARY BURNS (in French): My name is Nicholas Burns and I am the
Under Secretary of State of the United States in Washington, D.C.  I am here
in Port-au-Prince with an American team that is here to give our country's
support to the Haitian people for the elections and a new government.

We had a very good day today here in Port-au-Prince. We had meetings with
the Prime Minister and his team.  We had lunch with representatives of the
civil society here in Port-au-Prince; then we had talks with United Nations
officials, the Organization of American States (OAS), the Electoral Council;
and once again a second discussion with the Prime Minister.

I will say something in English to allow the direct translation in Creole
and then I will be ready to answer all the questions.  Thank you.

(In English): Ladies and gentlemen, let me just say that I am very pleased
to be here with our Assistant Secretary of State, Tom Shannon, with
Ambassador Carlos Pascual, and of course with Ambassador Tim Carney.

We have had a very good day of meetings here in Port-au-Prince.  We came
with one aim in mind, one objective in mind: we are strongly supporting the
elections on January 8, the second round of elections if necessary in
February, and the swearing-in of a new government, and a new president at
the end of February.  We think this is an extremely important time in the
history of Haiti because the people of Haiti have an opportunity now to
overcome the challenges of the past decade and to renew their society and to
form a new government that, we hope, will provide stability and peace and
economic reform to the country.

In all of our meetings today we focused on the question of the elections
scheduled for January 8 and we were very pleased to hear from Prime Minister
Latortue that he is determined that these elections will take place on the
8th of January.  We just came from a meeting in his office with Mr. Bernard
of the CEP, with MINUSTAH, Ambassador Valdès and also with the OAS.  All of
these officials agreed that the elections must go forward as scheduled.

There is never going to be a perfect time for these elections and there are
still a considerable number of challenges that have to be overcome before
the elections will be held on January 8th.  But we were able to have an
international conclave of sorts, where everyone was around the same table,
and everyone agreed that it will be important to follow through with the
commitment so that the Haitian people can vote on that day.

The key issue that all of these officials talked to us about was the voter
card.  And everyone from the Prime Minister and all the other officials
assured us that those cards will be available, that people just have to go
to pick them up.  And if the cards are not available, for whatever reason,
to some people, the receipt from the voting registration will allow that
person to vote on January 8th.  So we, my colleagues and I, suggested to the
Prime Minister and to the international elections officials that they mount
an ambitious information campaign on Haitian television and Haitian radio
and through the good offices of the newspapers to remind citizens of the
possibility of voting, of the possibility of getting a voter card, and if
that is not possible, of the receipt for registration that will allow them
to vote, it will get them to the polls and will allow them to cast the
ballot.

What it is at stake here is the opportunity for Haitians to restore their
democracy.  That's what these elections will provide and that's why the
United States is strongly supporting these elections.

All of the officials with whom we met, beginning with the Prime Minister,
denounced the violence that has been too prevalent on the streets of this
country and this city over these past months.  And all of us, of course, are
very much opposed and condemn the spate of kidnappings that have taken place
here in Haiti in recent weeks.  We condemn equally the murder today in Cité
Soleil of a Canadian police official who is here to help the Haitian people.
He was murdered brutally this morning.  The officials of MINUSTAH, including
Ambassador Valdès, assured us that MINUSTAH is dedicated to making sure that
violence does not play a role in this election and that people should not be
intimidated from exercising their democratic right to vote.

Finally, let me say that the United States is a good friend of Haiti; we are
hoping for a positive and successful election.  And we are already looking
beyond the elections to the creation of a new government.  President Bush
and Secretary of State Rice both believe that there is an opportunity for
the United States to be helpful to the Haitian people following the
elections.  We have extended over $400 million U.S. dollars in assistance to
Haiti in the last 18 months.  We are planning to commit at least $116
million dollars in 2006 for projects here to benefit the Haitian people.  In
addition to that, we intend to continue to subsidize and to support the
operation of MINUSTAH -- we are a major financial contributor to MINUSTAH --
so that MINUSTAH may have a reaffirmation of its mission as of February
2006. We hope very much that it will be extended here at that time.

So my colleagues and I will return to Washington to report to our Secretary
of State.  She was here in September.  She has a great interest, as does
President Bush, in the course of the elections, and we will report that we
think that there is every reason to believe, based on what we have heard
today, that these elections will go forward and be successful.

I will be very happy to respond to any questions you may have.

QUESTION (in French): We know that safety remains the preoccupation of all
Haitians and the members of the international community working on the
organization of these elections. Ambassador Valdès has requested helicopters
during the elections from the United States of America.  Is there an
American plan to reinforce MINUSTAH during the elections?

UNDER SECRETARY BURNS (in French): Thank you for the question.  We
thoroughly discussed the situation in regard to the elections with
Ambassador Valdès today. We had two meetings with him.  There is not an
American plan for security -- that it is the responsibility of the United
Nations, MINUSTAH, and also the responsibility of the Haitian National
Police.  Ambassador Valdès told us that he is very comfortable with the
level of assistance from the United States to MINUSTAH. I believe that we
are the leader in regard to financial assistance and political assistance to
MINUSTAH itself.

We discussed the elections.  In the last weeks there have been discussions
about the helicopters, but not much [today].  And I believe that MINUSTAH
plans to [include helicopters in its election budget], but we must examine
the details.  It is my opinion that Ambassador Valdès is very comfortable
with the plan.  MINUSTAH is very strong and MINUSTAH is ready to ensure its
responsibilities for safety here during the elections.

QUESTION (in English): Did you receive assurances regarding the possible
errors in the database of up to 1.5 million people who could be registered
in the wrong voting centers?  Did you receive assurances that would not
disrupt the elections process?

UNDER SECRETARY BURNS (in English): I should say that we had two
conversations with the elections officials, as well as with the Prime
Minister, and I left feeling comfortable that they have a fairly complete
database of the potential voters.  The challenge is: will those voters be
informed as to where they need to go to get their voting cards?  And if for
any reason they can't get their voting cards or the voting cards are not
ready for some individuals, the challenge will be that they will need to
take their receipt from the registration and that will permit them to vote.

I would just say, to follow on, just to finish the answer to your question,
there is never going to be a perfect time for these elections and especially
in a country like this, that has had so many challenges to face over many
years.  But the time to have this election has come.  It would not be a good
idea, in our view, to keep extending and delaying and postponing the date of
these elections.  There is an interim government in place, but it is
interim -- it has not been elected by the people.  What is, in our view, as
a friend of Haiti, absolutely necessary now is to have a government that is
elected. That is the opportunity that January 8th brings to this country, in
our view.

(In French): Now they are telling me that I should leave, so I thank you for
your questions and wish you the best for Christmas, the New Year and of
course for January 8th.  Thank you.


Created: 22 Dec 2005 Updated: 22 Dec 2005




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