UN chief concerned about postponed elections in Haiti

A resident walks as a boy looks at a car that was burnt during a demonstration against the electoral process in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Jan 22, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

UNITED NATIONS - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Saturday said he was concerned about the recent postponement of the elections in Haiti, urging all stakeholders to work towards the peaceful completion of the electoral process "without delay".

Haiti's electoral authority on Friday announced a decision to postpone presidential elections slated for Sunday due to security reasons. It said serious incidents happened in five Haitian departments, including attacks on at least two polling stations, led to the decision.

The Secretary-General urged the completion of the electoral process "through the forging of a consensual solution that will allow the people of Haiti to exercise their right to vote for the election of a new President and the remaining representatives of the new Parliament," said a statement released by Ban's spokesperson. "The Secretary-General urges all political actors to reject all forms of violence and intimidation and refrain from any action that can further disrupt the democratic process and stability in the country."

The Secretary-General reaffirmed the commitment of the United Nations to continue supporting the consolidation of democracy and stabilization in Haiti.

Haiti, with a population of 10 million, held the first round of legislative elections on Aug 9, followed by the first round of presidential elections and second round of legislative polls on Oct 25.

After the first round of presidential elections in October 2015, the opposition candidate Jude Celestin claimed that the government of President Michel Martelly had been manipulating results in favor of its candidate.