By Nelson A. King
The United Nations Special
Representative for Haiti on
Thursday acknowledged the
legitimacy of Prime Minister
Claude Joseph to lead the Frenchspeaking
Caribbean nation following
the “cowardly” assassination
of President Jovenel Moïse
on Wednesday, and welcomed
his government’s commitment
to hold national elections later
this year.
Helen La Lime, who also heads
the UN Integrated Office in Haiti
(BINUH) said the prime minister,
who now leads the government
in line with the country’s
constitution in the event of a sitting
president’s death, was committed
“to dialogue, and to continuing
with a process to hold
elections according to the electoral
calendar that was released
just last week.”
She said that would mean a
first round of elections on Sept.
26, with a second round set for
November.
Speaking via video link with
reporters in New York, La Lime
said that “all efforts must be
made” to bring those responsible
Caribbean L 8 ife, JULY 16-22, 2021
for the assassination of the
president to justice, and that a
national investigation led by Haitian
police was now underway,
following a number of arrests.
“It is too early for me to comment
on exactly what went on
and the circumstances surrounding
this abhorrent act of
violence,” she said. “We will continue
to wait for further developments
and to assist as we can.”
She said the Haitian Government
was “very serious” about
ensuring that the perpetrators
are caught and said BINUH
would provide any help at its disposal
to aid the investigation.
The Special Representative
told reporters that the UN
Security Council had discussed,
behind closed doors, a request
from Haiti to provide “security
assistance” with the on-going
investigation amidst the deepening
political crisis, and acknowledged
that there were tensions,
which needed to be resolved.
The UN said Haiti has been
gripped by months of street protest
against President Moïse and
the fraying of state institutions
and the economy, with armed
gangs controlling much of the
country, as poverty and hunger
increase.
According to reports, a new
prime minister had been due to
replace Joseph this week, and the
most senior judge in the country,
who could have been a stabilizing
influence, died of COVID-19
in June.
La Lime said that “there certainly
are tensions, there are certainly
people on all sides of this
issue having different interpretations
of Article 149 (of the Constitution);
that’s why it’s important
that dialogue happen, and
that the Haitian authorities and
Haitian stakeholders, have a dialogue,
so that a way forward can
be charted, one that gives the
people of Haiti the opportunity
to decide who their next government
(is).”
She said the UN in Haiti was
working “very hard and very
closely” with all Haitian stakeholders
at this time, and was
encouraging “all national stakeholders
to remain united.
Helen La Lime, special representative of the Secretary-
General for Haiti and head of the United Nations Mission for
Justice Support in HaÐti (MINUJUSTH). Leonora Baumann / UN
MINUJUSTH
“Our message is that stakeholders
need to set aside their
differences and to chart a common
way forward, and overcome
this difficult moment in a peaceful
manner,” La Lime said.
Asked if the UN should now
consider restoring some kind of
peacekeeping operation in the
light of the current situation, the
top UN envoy said that the government
needed to specify what
kind of security assistance it is
asking for.
“In the meantime, we need
to continue to use the technical
assistance we have on the
ground, maybe render it more
dynamic, so that we can call
on additional support,” she said.
“But the key is in the next two
weeks.
Top UN envoy hails commitment
to hold new elections in Haiti
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