Statement by Haitian Ambassador to Washington Bocchit Edmond on the composition of the House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC) panel and the message it sends.

Statement by Ambassador Bocchit Edmond :

""Haiti currently faces a turning point and enormous challenges as we work to preserve and strengthen our nation’s democracy. Our Government welcomes the U.S. Congress engaging on developments in Haiti at this important time. We value the US-Haiti partnership.

However, we must express our concerns about the composition of today’s House Foreign Affairs Committee panel and the message it sends. The Government of Haiti is first to acknowledge that, often, difficult conversations must be had and difficult steps must be taken to make progress.

It is in the furtherance of taking these steps that President Jovenel Moïse is engaging in a national dialogue with members of the political opposition to create consensus around the plans for legislative and presidential elections.

Our concern with today’s hearing is that the selection of panelists exhibits a failure to hear from all sides – a crucial component to effective dialogue and analysis.

While we commend inclusion of civil society orgs and encourage voicing all views –govt critics and supporters– we encourage HFAC to strive for a reasonably balanced dialogue grounded inand informed by facts. Our nation’s most pressing issues deserve to be treated with seriousness.

It's a missed opportunity to hear from a representative, inclusive range of Haitian voicesand hold a robust discussion. Despite the importance of the topics, HFAC has included no independent experts eg. constitutional and election scholars, economists, public health experts.

During the Moise’s administration final year in office, we’ll continue to work with all sectors in Haiti, our partners in the US government and the International community to create a brighter tomorrow for the people of Haiti."

HL/ HaitiLibre