8725: Haiti: Lavalas, Convergence discuss election proposals (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

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


Haiti: Lavalas, Convergence discuss election proposals
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; Jul 16, 2001

Text of report by Haitian Metropole radio on 16 July

[Announcer] The political agreement between the Lavalas Family [FL] and the
Convergence still has a long way to go. However, significant progress was
observed during the latest round of discussions held over the weekend at the
Montana Hotel under the aegis of the OAS [Organization of American States]
and the Civil Society Initiative Group [GISC].

During the three days of negotiations, the FL leaders agreed on different
points such as a secure environment for the holding of the next elections,
the setting up of a committee capable of guaranteeing election activities,
and the effective resumption of international cooperation with Haiti. FL and
Convergence leaders did not manage to find common ground for an agreement on
the date to hold the next legislative and municipal elections. They promised
to resume discussions this week to finalize the political agreement in the
absence of the OAS secretary-general and Albert Ramdin of Caricom [Caribbean
Community].

>From a source close to the negotiations, we heard that FL had suggested that
legislative elections be held for 18 Senate seats and all of the Chamber of
Deputies in November 2002. The municipal elections would take place between
May and July 2003, and an election for the nine senators elected on 26
November would be held in 2004.

As for the Convergence, they suggested holding legislative elections for 18
Senate seats, elections for the Chamber of Deputies in November 2002, and
the municipal and local elections during the second round of the legislative
elections. Other proposals made by the Convergence would be the resumption
of legislative elections for 27 Senate seats, the Chamber of Deputies, the
municipalities, and territorial collectivities in March 2003. FL and the
Convergence will resume work probably tomorrow to resolve these difficulties
and facilitate the signing of the political agreement most expected by all
sectors.

Source: Radio Metropole, Port-au-Prince, in French 1145 gmt 16 Jul 01

/BBC Monitoring/ © BBC