8355: Lavalas hopes to accelerate formation of Electoral Council (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Max Blanchet <maxblanchet@worldnet.att.net>

Haiti: Lavalas hopes to accelerate formation of Electoral Council
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; Jun 18, 2001

Text of report by Haitian Metropole radio on 18 June

Meanwhile, the ruling party hopes that the process of forming a new CEP
[Provisional Electoral Council] will be accelerated in the days to come. The
Lavalas Family [FL] hopes that the sectors that were invited will agree to
take part in the formation of this CEP to set up a credible electoral
machine. One of the Lavalas spokesmen, Jonas Petit, spoke as follows:

[Petit - recording, in Creole] Well, from now until next Monday [25 June] we
hope that the process will be accelerated. For, as you know, there are
several meetings that will take place at different levels with all the
people who are interested in the process of forming the CEP. We are moving,
of course, towards the date that was proposed in the resolution for the
finalization of the process. Therefore, we hope that between now and next
week the process will be accelerated and that the configuration of the CEP
will begin to be known and that people will begin to see clearly in the
process.

[Unidentified journalist] In the opposition they always talk about the need
for a political agreement before they can participate in forming a CEP. Does
the FL think that it is possible?

[Petit] Let us say that setting up a CEP to hold elections is a highly
political process. It is clear that all the people that (carry it out) have
almost reached a political agreement. On the contrary, we encourage all the
people who can be involved in setting up the CEP to do so in good faith,
with enthusiasm for the people's welfare. For the crisis is unbearable. It
is clear that all the people who are to be involved in the process should do
so quickly. Naturally, this is also an implementation of a political
agreement. [End of recording]

Source: Radio Metropole, Port-au-Prince, in French 1145 gmt 18 Jun 01

/BBC Monitoring/ © BBC.