CARICOM Eminent Persons Group ends visit to Haiti
The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Eminent Persons Group (EPG) has left Haiti, indicating that consensus had been reached on several aspects of the draft framework agreement intended to provide a transitional governance arrangement to take the troubled French-speaking CARICOM country to free and fair elections.
The EPG, led by the former prime minister of St Lucia, Dr Kenny Anthony, and includes the former prime minister of Jamaica, Bruce Golding, and his former Bahamian counterpart Perry Christie, left Port au Prince on Wednesday after a “week of intense negotiations” between Haitian stakeholders on the framework agreement.
The EPG members had paid their third visit to Haiti during the period November 8 to 14, holding discussions with the various stakeholders to find a political compromise aimed at stabilising the country and promoting a democratic transition.
In its statement issued following their latest visit, the EPG said the negotiations, attended by representatives of a broad cross-section of political and civil society Stakeholders, including Prime Minister Ariel Henry, “provided an opportunity for narrowing differences on the details of the transitional governance arrangement.
“The draft framework agreement that formed the basis of the negotiations was prepared by the EPG and reflected the contributions of all the Stakeholders over more than five months of consultations.
“The stakeholders achieved consensus on several aspects of the draft framework and have agreed to continue discussions between themselves in the absence of the EPG on the key areas of the balance of power and representation within the proposed transitional arrangements,” the statement said.
The EPG has indicated a willingness to return to Haiti “once the stakeholders have made significant progress in their informal discussions and provide a clear indication of their readiness to enter the last phase of negotiations,” the statement added.
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