Catherine Ashton, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the Commission, has declared today, two days before the election "The second round of the elections in Haiti on Sunday 20 March is an important opportunity for advancing democracy and political stability in Haiti. Establishing a new political leadership able to respond to the aspirations of the Haitians is an essential condition for intensifying the reconstruction and development efforts.

I welcome in this regard the substantive improvements to the electoral system, which should help overcoming many of the faults identified during the first electoral round in November 2010.

I encourage all the Haitians to make use of their right to vote and shape the future of their nation. I also urge all Haitian political forces to contribute responsibly to achieving a transparent electoral process in accordance with Constitutional rules and internationally accepted democratic standard and to refrain from any acts or declarations that might in any way disrupt the electoral process."

HL/ HaitiLibre