Clinton says US wants OAS plan on Haiti enacted

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State  Hillary Clinton said today the United States wants to see  Organization of American States recommendations enacted to  provide a solution to the electoral crisis in Haiti.
Clinton made the comment to reporters on her plane in  Washington before flying to Haiti for talks with its leaders  and electoral authorities about the impasse over results from  chaotic Nov. 28 elections in the poor, earthquake-battered  Caribbean state.
OAS experts, citing irregularities in Haitian polling  station tallies, have recommended that presidential candidate  and popular musician Michel Martelly be included in a  second-round runoff vote in March in place of government-backed  candidate Jude Celestin.
“We’ve made it very clear we support the OAS  recommendations and we would like to see those acted on,”  Clinton said.
Despite the OAS report and international pressure,  Celestin, a government technocrat and protege of outgoing  Haitian President Rene Preval, has not formally backed down or  withdrawn from the race despite urging from his own INITE  coalition to do so.
Haiti’s Provisional Electoral Council has said it will  announce on Wednesday the definitive results from the confused  elections, but has not yet given a clear indication that it  will follow the OAS recommendations.
This has prolonged uncertainty over the elections at a time  when Haiti, the Western Hemisphere’s poorest state, is still  struggling to recover from a devastating 2010 earthquake.
Martelly’s supporters rioted following initial results  announced by the electoral council last month that put Celestin  in the presidential runoff, along with opposition matriarch  Mirlande Manigat. The second round runoff is scheduled to be  held on March 20.
There have been fears the unrest will plunge Haiti back  into political turmoil and also put at risk donor aid.
‘A DEEP COMMITMENT’
Asked about the possibility of reducing U.S. aid to Haiti  if the electoral impasse is not resolved, Clinton said: “We’re  not talking about any of that. We have a deep commitment to the  Haitian people.”
Clinton said that during her visit she will meet with the  three front-runner electoral contenders: Manigat, Martelly and  Celestin.
Outgoing President Preval’s formal mandate ends on Feb. 7,  and there has been debate over whether he should stay on to  hand over to an elected successor or whether a provisional  government should take over while the deciding presidential  runoff is held.
“That’s one of the problems that we have to talk about,”  Clinton said.
The United States, a big contributor of aid funds for  Haiti’s post-quake reconstruction, has warned this support  could be at risk if the OAS recommendation is not heeded.     Washington has also revoked the U.S. entry visas of several  Haitians linked to INITE and Celestin’s campaign.