HAITI: US Special Envoy for Haiti Daniel Foote says holding elections without a political agreement, with security concerns and discord, was a rush to fail. The special envoy for Haiti said so during a conference-debate on the post-earthquake in Haiti, at the Florida international university (FIU), Thursday, September 9, 2021.
“We must not rush to failure. Elections cannot be held in the short term because of the deplorable security situation and political discord. I don’t think the current de facto interim government can hold a credible election without a political agreement. So it will take time to restore security, for an agreed interim government to establish a CEP, possibly carry out constitutional reform, etc. The position of the United States is that Haitians must organize elections as soon as the conditions are suitable, ”replied Daniel Foote to the panel moderated by Miami Herald journalist Jacqueline Charles.
The special envoy believes that the parties will find a political agreement. “I think they will find an adequate political consensus on an agreement,” he said, stressing that it is up to the parties to convince the Haitian people that they must be part of the transition. In terms of mobilizing resources for Haiti after the earthquake, Foote said the international community will be very careful about the financial assistance it gives to the current government.
On specific responses in areas like housing, the US special envoy believes in listening to Haitians. “We need to work with the government of Haiti. The biggest mistake we made in the past was forcing solutions on Haitians,” Foote said.
