CARICOM to spearhead Haiti’s electoral needs assessment; Prime Minister agrees to power sharing before polls

Last Updated on Wednesday, 28 February 2024, 21:42 by Denis Chabrol

Left to right: The Bahamas’ Prime Minister Phillip Davis, Barbados’ Prime Minister Mia Mottley and the President of Guyana Dr Irfaan Ali

Guyana’s President, Irfaan Ali and other Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders on Wednesday agreed that the regional bloc would lead a team alongside international partners to Haiti to determine what that strife-wracked country needs to prepare for elections no later than August, 2025.

The Bahamas’ Prime Minister, Phillip Davis said the gap assessment team, which would include CARICOM and United Nations representatives, would be supported by the United States, Canada and the Organisation of American States (OAS).

“That assessment team will be there to support the planning and efforts, relevant Haitian institutions, and hopefully will be established for the purpose of pulling those elections in a period before August 31 2025,” Mr Davis said.

That needs assessment team is expected to be finalised by March 31, 2024.

Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister, Gaston Browne earlier Wednesday told reporters that during a frank meeting between CARICOM leaders, representatives of the United States, Canada and France,  Haiti’s interim Prime Minister Ariel Henry agreed to share political power with the opposition and hold elections within a year. “”As we fix the political issues, it is not just about having an interim power-sharing group to govern Haiti but tge issues of institutional strengthening-reestablishing the electoral machinery, the democratic institutions and at the same time setting a firm date, possibly within the next 12 months for presidential elections. Those are some of the conditions precedent that must be achieved if not before concurrently as we seek to have this mission fully operationalised within Haiti,” he said.

CARICOM Chairman, Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali hinted that the closed-door talks with the Haitian Prime Minister were tough. “The issue of Haiti was a very, very difficult task. He credited Jamaica, Barbados, The Bahamas, Dominica and the United States held more than 15 hours of work  in sidebar plus another 10 hours of formal talks. Dr Ali recognised Mr Henry for making commitments during “this very, very frank and open discussion.” “Each stakeholder must recognize that we will not obtain all the one but he must obtain what he needs so every stakeholder in Haiti must also give in order for Haiti to get what it needs,” he said.