UN: Haiti has failed to break political impasse since 2011

The United Nations and some governments on Wednesday criticized Haiti for failing to establish democratic institutions while it struggled with health and development problems arising after the 2010 earthquake that killed more than 200,000 people, dpa reported. Nigel Fisher, the UN special representative in Haiti, told the UN Security Council that the situation in Haiti has been one of 'impasse in the political domain.' Fisher said the impasse was epitomized by failure to create an electoral commission in 2011, which resulted in no elections held since then. The government of President Michel Martelli has had to appoint local government officials. At the national legislative levels, one-third of senators' terms expired in May 2012 and the situation for the remaining senators was 'acrimonious and unresolved' as their terms also will expire in 2014 and 2015. Fisher said Haiti's economic growth rate has fallen 'well below forecast levels' and the country was last year beset by severe tropical storms and drought that exacerbated food insecurity affecting many households. Canada's UN Ambassador Guillermo Rishchynski, whose country has provided 1 billion US dollars in aid to Haiti, urged Haitian politicians to reaffirm their respect for democratic principles. 'If elections are not held in 2013, it will become ever more difficult for the international community to accept excuses and delays,' Rishchynski told the council. 'These overdue elections must be held in 2013, and as soon as possible.' The European Union, represented by Austrian Ambassador Thomas Mayr-Hartling in New York, decried the continued political impasse in Haiti. 'The EU concurs with calls for free, just and transparent elections to be held without delay and reaffirm its readiness to contribute funds to a permanent electoral commission,' he said.