Originally: UN chief in Haiti reiterates UN support to transitional government
Jun 11, 2005
The chief of the Minustah (UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti) has issued a strong warning to the sectors that support violence while saying that they are in favour of the elections. Juan Gabriel Valdes affirms that the UN Mission understands their double game. The Chilean diplomat stresses that the Haitian government and Minustah will not remain idle. Minustah Chief Valdes said the following:
Valdes: First of all, I believe that the Haitian people, these organizations, and political parties are free to discuss issues that they think are of interest for the future of the country. We also think that as an organization and international community, we have a commitment with this government. We perfectly understand the problems of this government because they are also our problems. We understand the difficulties of this government because they are also our difficulties. We appreciate that a government that vows not to continue in the political process is a government that is, to put it elegantly, estranged to the Haitian tradition.
We also understand that this government is a government that wants to organize free and transparent elections. We understand that this is an honest government that wants to use the funds of the international community for the progress of the country. We understand that it requires a lot of courage for someone to be prime minister of Haiti in a situation as difficult as this. We appreciate the courage of the prime minister. We appreciate the courage of the people who have accompanied the government. The international community is firm in its support to the current Haitian government, and we will continue to work with President Boniface Alexandre and Prime Minister Gerard Latortue in the electoral period.
We have unfortunately heard that certain politicians, who normally participate in meetings in which democratic elections were being planned and are apparently committed to steering the country along the road to peace, actually participated as well in a meeting in which acts of violence were being planned. I want to let these politicians know that they are making a mistake. They are mistaken, first, because they thought that we were not aware of it. Second, they are mistaken because we are going to take action along with the Haitian state and the Haitian justice system. If we continue to receive these kinds of information, we will find a way to bring these people to justice.