Port-au-Prince: The nine members of Haiti's new provisional electoral council (CEP) took office Wednesday, tasked with relaunching the election process that was left in limbo in January after opposition protests.
The poorest country in the Americas is grappling with just its latest crisis, after the presidential vote runoff and final round of legislative elections were postponed when the opposition accused the government of attempting to rig the vote.
"The task ahead is immense, giving hope to millions of our compatriots who are waiting," said Mosler Georges, executive director of the CEP, which is tasked with organizing the elections.
Haiti's interim leader, Jocelerme Privert, officially swore in his cabinet Monday, promising an urgent push forward to get the Caribbean nation's electoral process back on track.
Thirty years after the end of the Duvalier dictatorship, Haiti is still struggling to hold credible elections that would boost development and raise the standard of living for the 60 percent of the population who are below the poverty line.
Haiti also is still dealing with the aftermath of the powerful January 2010 earthquake that killed some 160,000 people and caused widespread destruction.
AFP
