No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeTopicsGlobalUS embassy urges Haiti to resolve political crisis

US embassy urges Haiti to resolve political crisis

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – The U.S. embassy in Haiti urged the Caribbean country’s politicians Sunday to find a solution to the political crisis that will soon see its parliament’s mandate end, leaving a perilous political vacuum.

In a cruel coincidence, the Monday night deadline falls just as the impoverished nation marks the fifth anniversary of the catastrophic earthquake that killed 300,000 people.

Polls to elect new lawmakers have been postponed several times, and no new date has been set.

Protesters, who have taken to the streets in near-daily demonstrations, accuse President Michel Martelly of tacitly allowing the parliament to expire in order to rule by decree, while he accuses the opposition of blocking an electoral law that would allow a vote.

“The U.S. government notes with grave concern that despite the President’s wide-ranging concessions, parliament has not voted an electoral law to allow for 2015 elections,” the embassy said in a statement.

“In the short time remaining before the constitutionally mandated end of the current parliament on January 12, we urge all parties to agree on a framework for parliamentary mandates, a new Provisional Electoral Council, passage of amendments to the electoral law, and the formation of a government of consensus.”

Héctor Retamal/AFP
Héctor Retamal/AFP

Martelly was scheduled Sunday to meet with political leaders in a final effort to reach an agreement.

A new prime minister, Evans Paul, named by Martelly on Dec. 26, has been unable to take office as a result of the political friction between the president and lawmakers.

A group of senators has proposed a new prime minister be chosen.

The U.S. Embassy said if no solution was found before the deadline, the U.S. government would “continue to work with President Martelly and whatever legitimate Haitian government institutions remain to safeguard the significant gains we have achieved together since the January 12, 2010 earthquake.”

Haiti has struggled to get back on its feet since the 2010 earthquake, and its progress has been hampered by a cholera epidemic likely brought to the country by U.N. peacekeepers.

Trending Now

Costa Rican Court Orders Uber to Pay Millions in Driver Benefits

Costa Rican courts have dealt another blow to Uber, ruling that the ride-hailing company must treat drivers as employees rather than independent contractors. In...

Costa Rica Unveils $800M Electric Train for San José Metro Area

Costa Rica has rolled out plans for a new electric train system aimed at easing traffic snarls in the Greater Metropolitan Area. President Rodrigo...

Panama Defends Canal Neutrality at UN Amid US-China Tensions

Panama's President José Raúl Mulino took the stage at the United Nations General Assembly this week, standing firm on his country's control over the...

Costa Rica Court Orders Return of Public Land in Nosara

Community leaders in Nosara are demanding swift and transparent action from the Municipality of Nicoya after the Constitutional Court ordered the recovery of 80...

Learning Spanish Through Music in Costa Rica: Misheard Lyrics and Wins

One of the most challenging parts of learning a language is understanding songs in that language. In my early days of learning Spanish, I...

World Tourism Day 2025 Focuses on Sustainable Transformation

Today marks World Tourism Day, held every September 27 to highlight tourism's role in economies and communities worldwide. This year's theme, "Tourism and Sustainable...
spot_img
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica