By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE CARICOM delegation’s trip to Haiti on Monday was a success, said Prime Minister and CARICOM chairman Philip Davis, adding that it  marks the beginning of a journey that will help pave the way towards the holding of free and fair elections in Haiti.

The high-level delegation, led by Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness, consisted of representatives from The Bahamas and Trinidad and Tobago, left for Haiti on Monday to meet with politicians and other officials there to discuss security issues facing the country.

National Security Minister Wayne Munroe and Immigration Minister Keith Bell were among the delegation.

But the group did not stay overnight, with some of the delegation members returning to The Bahamas later that day.

Mr Davis described the mission as a “success” and a step in the right direction during a press conference held Monday night after he welcomed the group from their trip.

 Earlier in the day, Mr Davis told reporters that the purpose of the mission was to help prepare them for an upcoming meeting that will be held in Jamaica surrounding issues in Haiti.

 “From the briefing given to me, it was a successful trip,” he said. “I think they had identified the common denominators I think may lead to response to the challenges that are present in Haiti at the moment, particularly the issue relating to security which all of the stakeholders whom they have met — I think they were over 70 — have chimed in on.

 “The base line here is ensuring that (the) security of Haiti is secured, and we hope to continue those conversations and at the very least dialogue has begun.”

 Mr Davis also thanked each member of the delegation that travelled to Haiti to start what he described as “a journey towards creating the space for a free and fair transparent election in Haiti”.

 He could not say how long it could take for an election to be held but acknowledged that it could take a while, noting that people there need to feel safe in order to vote.

 “We don’t think it’s an overnight fix, but we think that we’re on the right track,” the prime minister also said.

 The group’s travel to Haiti comes amid a reported rise of kidnappings and gang violence in the country’s capital.

 Mr Munroe was asked about what they saw on the ground in Haiti.

 “The Haitian National Police ensured that our (travel) from the airport to the Hotel Montana, which is where we met, was without incident. There was a show on the streets. We saw the environs of people going about their business,” the minister said.

 “I could say, and Minister Bell says, they’re a lot more respectful of the police passing and pulling on the side than we are here in New Providence and so we were conducted quite safely and, of course, everyone travelled with their protection officers, so we encountered no difficulties.”

 When contacted by The Tribune yesterday, Haitian Chargé d’Affaires Louis Harold Joseph said based on information he received, he also thought the meetings went well.

 Mr Joseph also noted that he remains confident that a solution will be found to the crisis in Haiti following the return of the CARICOM delegation.

 “We received a very large delegation from CARICOM,” he said. “We had members from The Bahamas, a large delegation from The Bahamas, Jamaica and CARICOM and during that visit, they paid a courtesy call to the Prime Minister and after that, they went to have a meeting with all the stakeholders in Port au Prince, particularly political parties and members from the civil society and also members from the private sector.

 “I think the meeting went well and I know the Prime Minister of Jamaica made some comments. I don’t have them yet, but I can tell you that Haiti received that large delegation from CARICOM, and everything went well.”

 Last month, The Bahamas hosted the 44th CARICOM Heads of Government meeting where regional leaders gathered to discuss the crisis in Haiti.

 At the end of the three-day high-level talks, member states of CARICOM agreed to provide direct support to the Haitian National Police to help bolster security in the troubled country instead of putting extra boots on the ground there.