Haitian Opposition Demonstrate against OAS Mediation

The rejection to the international mediating for overcoming the internal crisis focuses the theme of opposition protests taking place in Haiti

Thousands of people are demonstrating since yesterday in Port au Prince against what they call interference of the Organization of American States (OAS) in the internal affairs of the country.

The reaction of the opposition came after the arrival on Sunday of a special mission of the hemispheric organization was announced, to try to mediate in the conflict of interest generated by the elections.

The OAS mediation to overcome the stagnation of the internal political dialogue takes place at the request of the Haitian President Michel Martelly, and so far the agenda of the guests has not been detailed.

Haiti has a deep political crisis since the opposition parties denounced fraud took place in the elections of August 9 and October 25.

The presidential runoff and the partial legislatives were scheduled on December 27, but they were postponed for January 24, and finally had to be suspended two days before their celebration.

Tensions were growing due to the insistence of the government and the electoral tribunal to go ahead with the voting without having addressed the claims to investigate the process and to punish the authors of the frauds.

This situation creates an atmosphere of confrontation that makes impossible the dialogue among political actors and causes concern to the international community, which has funded the elections.

Given the possibility that the transfer of power can not be performed on February 7, as provided in the Constitution, the President Martelly called for the OAS’ mediating.

But the opposition demands the resignation of the president and the establishment of a transitional government to convene new elections as a solution to the crisis.

In that environment, the electoral tribunal has diminished even more, because in the last hours other two members resigned, including its president, Pierre-Louis Opont.

Opont’s resignation came after Martelly invited the sectors represented in that body to nominate new members to replace the ones who had resigned to rebuild that authority lacking credibility.