WASHINGTON, Feb 15 (NNN-Caribbean News Network) — Haiti’s ambassador to the United States has requested for international community’s help to support talks between President Jovenel Moise’s government and the opposition in resolving the country’s constitutional crisis.
There has been an on-going dispute between Moise’s administration and the opposition on when the president’s term should end.
Tensions erupted over the weekend after Moise claimed of an attempt to overthrow his government. A total of 23 people were arrested, including a Supreme Court judge and a senior police official.
Moise’s term comes to a close in February 2022 and to Ambassador Bocchit Edmond, there is no valid reason on why the president has to leave before the said date.
Edmond also said that Moise is a “legitimate president” and that “the international community has to support him, accompany him, so we can carry out the electoral process.”
“I believe the international community, our international partners, should work with us and with the opposition parties to make sure that we come to some kind of dialogue or political agreement, so we can have a better way to move forward,” Edmond said.
Meanwhile, Haiti’s opposition claims Moise should step down as his five-year term in office expired on Feb 7 after being elected in 2015, and his win was disputed and the result “canceled by the electoral council.”
Moise has rejected the said claims. He argued that he took power in February 2017 following the elections in 2016, which he won and has pledged to step down next year.
The U.S. government appeared to support Moise’s timeline, saying that a new leader should replace Moise in February 2022.
Separately, elections in Cayman Islands has been decided on April 14, one month earlier than previously planned.
