UN chief calls for Haiti vote

UNITED NATIONS, USA – UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday, April 25, voiced “deep concern” after another deadline was missed to hold a presidential runoff in Haiti and called for the elections to take place.

The vote had been set for April 24, but it never materialized and no new date was set.

Ban expressed “his strong support for the completion, without further delay, of the 2015 elections and calls on all Haitian actors to ensure the prompt return to constitutional order,” a statement from his spokesman said.

“The country can ill afford a period of prolonged transitional governance while facing major socio-economic and humanitarian challenges,” he added.

Haiti has been in deep political crisis since the December runoff between then-president Michel Martelly’s favored candidate Jovenel Moise and opposition flag-bearer Jude Celestin was called off amid violence and allegations of fraud in the first round.

Jocelerme Privert was elected interim president of the troubled country on February 14 for 3 months to oversee the runoff as well as partial legislative and local elections. – Rappler.com