Britain urged Haiti to retain safeguards on who can run for office as it broadens voter access, warning that gang coercion threatens the credibility of elections facing a revised timetable.
At a United Nations Security Council meeting on Oct. 19, Sarah MacIntosh, the UK permanent representative to the United Nations, welcomed efforts to make voter registration easier. She cautioned that changes to candidate eligibility must retain safeguards against people who might exploit violence, coercion or criminal activity to gain political influence.
Haiti's Provisional Electoral Council is preparing a revised calendar for presidential and legislative voting. The council extended candidate registration to Oct. 31. Its earlier schedule set Dec. 13 for the first round of voting, but the council has not announced an updated polling date.
MacIntosh linked her election warning to gangs' intimidation of communities and attempts to weaken state authority. She said sustained security improvements were necessary for a credible vote and urged those with influence over gangs to press them to end the violence.
She cited an initial operational presence outside Port-au-Prince among steps taken to support Haitian authorities. As the Gang Suppression Force expands its operations, she said, it should coordinate with those authorities and follow its human rights framework. The Security Council has renewed the force's mandate and the U.N. sanctions regime.
MacIntosh also described the toll on women and girls. She cited rape reports from nearly 700 of them during July and August and said 87% had been subjected to collective rape. Coordination arrangements at six police stations identified 151 sexual violence cases and referred them to police, she said; 96 involved minors.
MacIntosh said lasting security gains were essential for Haitian communities and for credible elections. Candidate registration is due to end Oct. 31, while the council has given no date for releasing its revised calendar.
