Saturday, Kenneth Merten, U.S. Ambassador in Haiti, has been "very optimistic" after the submission of the report made by the experts of the Organization of American States (OAS) to the Government. He considers that the recommendations made, "are a good thing to exit the impasse [...] America is ready to offer support to implement these recommendations. "He recalled that "the government and the American people want to ensure that the will of the Haitian people is respected" and the United States "did not support any particular candidates."

Regarding the reserves issued by President Préval on the methodology of verification work of the experts, the ambassador said he did not know and has strongly denied any international pressure on President Préval, while refusing to answer on any refusal of the Government to implement the conclusions of the report which excluded the government candidate Jude Célestin.

Recall that the preliminary results of the disputed first round, published by the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) gave for the second round:

Mirlande Manigat : 31,37% (336,878 votes)

Jude Célestin : 22.48% (241,462 votes)

Excluding of the second round the candidate Michel Martelly with 21.84% (234.717 votes)

According to information contained in the Draft Report of the OAS and that we published several extracts, OAS experts, after examination and elimination of non-conforming votes, gave for the second round:

Mirlande Manigat : 31.19% (323,048 votes)

Michel Martelly : 21.96% (227,467 votes)

Excluding of the second round the candidate of the power Jude Célestin with 21.65 % (224,242 votes)

Note that if the people accusing the majority candidate Célestin of fraud, candidates Manigat and Martelly are also concerned. Experts to the OAS noted and excluded incorrect or fraudulent votes for all candidates:

- 17,220 (7.13%) des votes (Jude Célestin)

- 13,830 (4.10%) des votes (Mirlande Manigat)

- 7,150 (3.14%) des votes (Michel Martelly)

For Kenneth Merten, the report "confirms earlier observations that revealed that there had been fraud and irregularities " during the first round of elections on November 28. The U.S. ambassador said that Jose Miguel Insulza, Secretary General of the OAS will be in Haiti to discuss with President Préval and the authorities concerned, of, "the implementation of recommendations contained in the report. The ambassador said Insulza did not come in Haiti to change the recommendations of experts or to negotiate.

A diplomatic source, generally well informed, confirmed us that the U.S. ambassador and key ambassadors in Haiti, met Saturday with President Préval around the post-election political crisis and ways to get out.

It is interesting to note that the exclusion of Michel Martelly from the second round in the official preliminary results of the CEP with a gap of 6.845 votes had caused considerable tension and a request for a recount. The passage of the candidate Michel Martelly to the second round and the exclusion of Jude Célestin with only 3.225 votes, leave indifferent...

It is feared that if the information of the final report of the OAS, confirm those of the draft report (which should be the case), Jude Célestin, should not fail to challenge this small difference.

See also:

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-2104-haiti-elections-report-from-oas-today-a-new-ranking-of-candidates.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-2101-haiti-elections-key-pages-from-the-draft-report-of-the-oas.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-2111-haiti-elections-rene-preval-very-annoyed-by-the-report-of-the-oas.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-2118-haiti-social-demonstrations-inite-and-the-oas-report-in-cause.html

HL/ HaitiLibre