Country moves towards presidential elections: two missions extended.

Haiti - described as "a very poor country with 200 years of agitated history" - was moving towards presidential elections, scheduled for 17 December 1995 and 21 January 1996, with its people feeling more secure", Lakhdar Brahimi, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Haiti, told the press on 2 October at UN Headquarters.

The national any had been dismantled, and for the first time in the country's history, a national police of 5,000 men was being created, he said. The UN Mission in Haiti (UNMIH) was doing "reasonably well". Its role was to assist Haitians with security matters and help organize the elections, Mr. Brahimi observed.

UNMIH extended

The Security Council on 31 July, in extending the Mission for seven months, said it looked forward to the "conclusion of UNMIH's mandate at that time and to the safe, secure and orderly assumption of office by a new, constitutionally elected government".

By unanimously adopting resolution 1007 (1995), the Council also commended UNMIH on its successful efforts to assist the Haitian Government in sustaining a "secure and stable environment, protecting international personnel and key installations, establishing the conditions for holding elections, and professionalizing the security forces".

In addition, it thanked UNMIH and the joint International Civilian Mission to Haiti (MICIVIH) of the Un/Organization of American States (OAS), as well as contributing States, for their "assistance with the municipal and legislative elections" that had begun on 25 June.

The Council also expressed "deep concern with irregularities" observed in the first round of those elections, and urged all parties to the process to "pursue every effort to ensure that such problems are corrected in future balloting".

In welcoming the continuing efforts of Haiti's President Jean-Bertrand Aristide to work towards national reconciliation, the Council called upon the Secretaries-General of the UN and OAS to continue to render "all appropriate assistance to the Haitian electoral process".

States and international institutions were also urged to provide assistance to the Government and people of Haiti "as they consolidate the gains made towards democracy and stability".

By the end of June 1995, UNMIH - established by Council resolution 867 (1993) - had 6,065 military and 847 civilian police personnel, 191 international and 240 local staff, as well as 19 UN volunteers.

The General Assembly on 12 July, in welcoming the "prospect of free and fair presidential elections and the smooth transition to a new, democratically elected government", in accordance with the Haitian Constitution, extended the UN component of MICIVIH until 7 February 1996.

In adopting without a vote resolution 49/27 B, the Assembly also reaffirmed the international community's commitment to an increase in technical, economic and financial cooperation with Haiti, in support of its economic and social development efforts and in order to strengthen those institutions responsible for "dispensing justice and guaranteeing democracy, political stability and economic development".

`Significant progress'

Four months after its takeover from the Multinational Force - deployed in September 1994 to create conditions necessary for the return of democracy to Haiti - UNMIH had made significant progress in sustaining the secure and stable environment, conducive to the organization of free and fair legislative elections, and assisting in creating a police force, the Secretary-General reported (S/1995/614) on 24 July. He hoped that by February 1996 Haiti would have duly elected institutions and a functioning security system.

The Haitian Government, political parties and people should "find ways to move forward together", taking full advantage of the presence of a "large number of personnel deployed by the international community to assist them in their efforts to return Haiti to the family of democratic nations", Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali stated.

As the Haitian National Police "progressively takes over law-and-order responsibilities", it was essential, the Secretary-General went on, that demobilized members of the Haitian security forces be reintegrated in civil society. Overall economic, social and institutional development was also necessary for a "lasting restoration of democracy in Haiti", he stressed.

On 2 October, Special Representative Brahimi reported that the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, the European Union and "half a dozen countries" had pledged "over $1 billion in various facilities such as loans" for Haiti. That response had been important, considering that the country's population was only 7 million. However, that aid had been necessary since Haiti had been "so neglected and exploited", Mr. Brahimi said.