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UN chief hails election of provisional president of Haiti

Xinhua, February 16, 2016 Adjust font size:

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday welcomed the election of the provisional president of Haiti on Sunday, saying that it is the "crucial first step" in stabilizing the small island country.

"The secretary-general encourages all parties to work together towards the implementation of the roadmap contained in the agreement to ensure the return to constitutional normality," said a statement issued here by Ban's spokesman.

"The secretary-general expresses his confidence that the stabilization of Haiti and the democratic process will continue in a peaceful and collaborative manner," the statement said.

The election stems from the agreement signed on Feb. 6 between Haitian stakeholders to preserve institutional continuity and further the electoral process, said the statement.

Jocelerme Privert was elected on Sunday as Haitian provisional president and sworn in by Haiti's legislature to lead a caretaker government to fill the void left by last week's departure of the previous president.

Privert's predecessor, Michel Martelly, left office on Feb. 7 without a successor having been named. The second round of elections, scheduled for Jan. 24, was subsequently postponed, following mass protests and the opposition's reported refusal to participate in the process.

"(The) election is a fundamental step in the implementation of the Political Agreement for institutional continuity, signed on Feb. 5 between the branches of the executive and legislative branches of power," said the UN special representative in Haiti, Sandra Honore, in a joint statement with other members of the international community represented in the so called "Core Group," which includes Brazil, Canada, Spain, France, the United States, the European Union and the Organization of American States.

The group reiterated its invitation to all stakeholders to work together in achieving this political agreement "to ensure the return to constitutional normality, stabilizing institutions of the republic, the appointment of a consensus prime minister and the continuation of the electoral process on time." Enditem