Brussels, 06/04/2011 (Agence Europe) - As soon as the provisional results of the second round of presidential elections in Haiti, won by singer Michel Martelly (67.57% of votes against 31.74% for Mirlande Manigat), had been announced, the EU welcomed this as an important step towards democracy. It said this gave hope that rebuilding of the country devastated on 12 January 2010 by a massive earthquake would gather pace.
In a statement published on the evening of Tuesday 5 April, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton says: “I welcome the publication by the Provisional Electoral Council of the preliminary results of the second round of legislative and presidential elections in Haiti. This is an important step in the country's current phase of democratic transition and should lead to greater political stability and to stronger governance in the interest of all the people of Haiti. Those are prerequisites for accelerating the process of reconstruction and economic recovery”. The high representative encourages the “people and the authorities of Haiti to go forward in the same spirit of calm and restraint that has characterised this second round of elections”. She also gave her assurance that the EU would continue to support Haiti in its endeavours to promote democracy and the rule of law and further the process of reconstruction. (A.N./transl.jl)