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OAS to send mission to Haiti over election crisis

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The Organization of American States gave a green light to sending a mission to Haiti to work on easing the political crisis over its delayed presidential runoff vote.

Bocchit Edmond, Haiti's envoy to the regional grouping, asked for the mission saying it was at the request of President Michel Martelly.

The impoverished Caribbean state was due to elect a successor to Martelly in a second-round run-off vote last Sunday, but polling was called off over safety fears.

Opposition activists had taken to the streets claiming Martelly and his foreign backers are bent on rigging the poll in favor of his chosen candidate.

Martelly is constitutionally prohibited from standing for re-election and his legal term in office ends on February 7, when he had hoped to hand over power.

His favored candidate, the previously little-known Jovenel Moise, won October's first round with around a third of the vote and remains the favorite.

But opposition flag-bearer Jude Celestin was close behind and refused to campaign ahead of the second vote, alleging the government was working against him.

OAS chief Luis Almagro said that Haiti's government would set out the "mission and limits of the mission."

No date for a departure was immediately disclosed.

The Organization of American States gave a green light to sending a mission to Haiti to work on easing the political crisis over its delayed presidential runoff vote.

Bocchit Edmond, Haiti’s envoy to the regional grouping, asked for the mission saying it was at the request of President Michel Martelly.

The impoverished Caribbean state was due to elect a successor to Martelly in a second-round run-off vote last Sunday, but polling was called off over safety fears.

Opposition activists had taken to the streets claiming Martelly and his foreign backers are bent on rigging the poll in favor of his chosen candidate.

Martelly is constitutionally prohibited from standing for re-election and his legal term in office ends on February 7, when he had hoped to hand over power.

His favored candidate, the previously little-known Jovenel Moise, won October’s first round with around a third of the vote and remains the favorite.

But opposition flag-bearer Jude Celestin was close behind and refused to campaign ahead of the second vote, alleging the government was working against him.

OAS chief Luis Almagro said that Haiti’s government would set out the “mission and limits of the mission.”

No date for a departure was immediately disclosed.

AFP
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