Haiti power vacuum looms as interim president's mandate ends

Haiti faced a new power vacuum Wednesday after interim president Jocelerme Privert's mandate ended with no formal solution to the country's immediate political crisis, lawmakers said.

"This June 14, 2016 marks the end of the 120-day mandate of the Republic's provisional president," read a statement from the president of the Chamber of Deputies and Senate deputy president.

Lawmakers have so far failed to meet for negotiations on an end to the country's latest political impasse.

Tuesday's statement asked Haitians to "remain calm until the national assembly meets to take the necessary measures."

The international community on Wednesday expressed concern over parliament's failure to propose a solution.

Representatives of Haiti's main foreign donors -- the "Core Group," which includes officials from the UN, the Organization of American States and major foreign embassies -- issued a statement urging the national assembly to facilitate a return to constitutional order by holding elections without delay.

The assembly elected Privert in February for a 120-day term to fill the power vacuum left by former president Michel Martelly when he stepped down with no successor in place following the suspension of a presidential election last year.

The Americas' poorest country has been mired in a deep political crisis since the election's first round on October 25.
Martelly's hand-picked candidate Jovenel Moise was declared the first-place finisher ahead of opposition flag-bearer Jude Celestin -- amid violence and fraud allegations.

The opposition condemned the result as an "electoral coup" in favor of Moise.

The authorities postponed a second round in December, originally hoping a transitional government would organize a new election by April and clear the way for an elected president to take power in May.

Last week, the first-round results were canceled following a recommendation by an independent commission that found fraud had marred the voting.

The Provisional Electoral Council set the first round of a new election for October 9 and a second round on January 8.

The decision prompted strong reactions from foreign countries concerned about the cost of redoing the election after international donors mostly financed last year's aborted election to the tune of $100 million.

And on Wednesday the United States reiterated its concern.

US State Department spokesman John Kirby urged the Haitian legislature to ensure the continuance of government and to complete the 2015 elections quickly.

"We note that temporary political solutions do not replace the urgent need for the seating of a democratically elected president in Haiti," he said.

The European Union last week said it is ending its election observation mission in Haiti, calling the decision to cancel last fall's election results unjustified.

Several hundred Privert supporters protested in Port-au-Prince on Tuesday demanding the legislature extend his mandate until the new election takes place.

Source: AFP