The government’s comments follow the failure of the “Political Conference for a way out of the crisis” in Port-au-Prince.
Adviser to President Jovenel Moise, Jude Charles Faustin, said Monday the government is seeking to continue dialogue with sectors of the opposition to find a solution to the nation’s dramatic situation.
The comments came as government officials and some moderate opposition parties concluded a three-day meeting in Port-au-Prince without reaching any agreement.
The meeting called ‘Political Conference for a way out of the crisis’ was held from Jan. 29 to 31 and organized by the Apostolic Nunciature, the diplomatic seat of the Vatican in Haiti.
Although the conference was a failure, Faustin said the participants agreed on the need to draft a new constitution, to establish a constituent assembly, and to set up a road map under the supervision of the United Nations Integrated Office (BINUH) and the Organization of American States (OAS).
The Core Group – composed of the Special Representative of the U.N. Secretary-General, the Ambassadors of Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Spain, the European Union, the United States, and the Special Representative of the OAS – said in a statement it “regrets that the participants in the discussions were unable to reach an agreement despite their efforts.”
The Core Group has been widely criticized by the people in Haiti for interfering in the country’s internal affairs and for backing an unpopular president.
The Caribbean nation is facing one of the worst political, economic and social crises of its recent history.
The nationwide protests that started in late 2018 were sparked by severe shortages of food and fuel and have been paralyzing the country for months now.
Moise, who has refused to step down, is facing widespread anger over inflation, rampant violence, allegations of corruption, particularly the embezzlement of the funds destined for social programs from the Venezuelan led Petrocaribe cooperation program.
Meanwhile, recent projections by the U.N. humanitarian affairs office (OCHA) show that the number of Haitians who do not have enough to eat is expected to surpass four million this year. (https://www.telesurenglish.net/news/Haitis-Government-Insists-to-Dialogue-With-the-Opposition-20200203-0016.html)
