Tuesday at the National Palace, President Michel Martelly met 7 of the 9 members of the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) [Max Mathurin and Léopold Berlanger were not present]. Discussions including the possibility of making the elections in the shortest possible time by conciling Article 19.1 of the Electoral Act 2013 and Article 12 of the Agreement of El Rancho, in the case the amended electoral law is not ratified in the Senate.

Electoral advisers recalled that the CEP had the technical responsibility of carrying the election and that it was the Parliament to find a consensus formula having the force of law, to proceed to the realization of these elections. The President Martelly has asked them to start the electoral machine to be ready technically to achieve these elections as soon as a legal framework will be defined.

Besides this, for nearly an hour, in a cordial atmosphere, the Head of State spoke with members of the CEP about the progress of the electoral process, the steps already taken and those to come in the framework of the realization of the next elections.

This meeting was an opportunity for the President of the Republic, to reaffirm the commitment of his administration to facilitate, without delay, the vote to renew permit for two-thirds of the Senate, the entire Chamber of Deputies and members of local Authorities.

For their part, electoral advisers, very pleased with the initiative of the Head of State, spoke to him, among others, of the process of recruitment of

Departmental Electoral Offices members (BED) and the publication Wednesday of the list of successful candidates and of Communal Electoral Offices (BEC) that they intend to install by the end of September, if there is no financial constraint and reiterated their will to conduct credible and transparent elections. They also reiterated they are waiting the amendments to the electoral law to enable them to drive the process straightforward.

After the meeting, the President and Councillors agreed to meet again to continue leveling the electoral path. The President Martelly has once again renewed his faith in the organization of free elections honest, transparent and inclusive to renew political staff and keep the country on track of democracy and the rule of law.

HL/ HaitiLibre