OAS Secretary General Leads High-Level Delegation to Haiti Ahead of December Elections
Albert Ramdin met Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé as regional bodies pledged support for security and electoral preparations during an August 16-19 official visit.
Organization of American States Secretary General Albert R. Ramdin arrived in Haiti at the head of a high-level delegation on an official visit from August 16 to 19, according to Le Nouvelliste, hoy.com.do and haitilibre.com. Foreign Affairs Minister Raina Forbin, Defense Minister Mario Andrésol and CEP President Jacques Desrosiers welcomed Ramdin, who was accompanied by CARICOM Secretary General Carla Barnett. The delegation included representatives of the IDB, CAF, PAHO, IICA, CARICOM and the United Nations. On Monday, Ramdin met Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé to review Haiti's efforts to restore security and create conditions for general elections described as "credible," "inclusive" and "transparent," EFE reported via hoy.com.do. Haitian authorities have scheduled the elections for mid-December; the last vote was held in November 2016. Economy and Finance Minister Serge Gabriel Collin signed an agreement on Haiti's integration into CAF-Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean. The Haitian government reaffirmed its determination to restore state authority and advance the electoral process. The mission forms part of the OAS Roadmap for stability and peace in Haiti, aimed at translating international commitments into concrete action. Armed gangs control roughly 90 percent of the capital, according to reports.