WAKEFIELD, Que. — Canada and the U.S. bluntly warned Haitian leaders on Monday to get their political house in order after a week of post-election chaos that has left the impoverished country with no clear political way forward.
Meeting in the chilly, snow-frosted Gatineau Hills just north of the Canada’s capital, Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton emerged with stern messages for their wayward Caribbean neighbour.
“Haiti, of course, remains of grave concern and we stand with its citizens as they rebuild their country,” said Cannon, who chaired the short, but packed trilateral meeting of North American foreign ministers that also included Mexico’s Patricia Espinosa.
“It’s essential that Haitian political actors fulfil their responsibilities and demonstrate a firm commitment to democratic principles, including the respect for the integrity for the electoral process.”
Clinton all but endorsed last week’s threat by a powerful senator who said the Obama administration should withhold funds from Haiti’s government until its tainted election is resolved.
She said Sen. Patrick Leahy, a Democrat who chairs the Senate subcommittee that oversees Haiti appropriations, was simply voicing the “growing frustration” of many as the first anniversary of Haiti’s devastating Jan. 12 earthquake approaches.
Leahy’s words “should be heeded by the leaders of Haiti,” said Clinton.
“There has to be a greater effort. There has to be a more focused approach to problem-solving,” she said.
“This is a very strong signal that we expect more and we’re looking for more.”
As Cannon wrapped up the meeting, he called for a return to peace and order in Haiti.
He said Haitian leaders must respect the electoral process and that the ballot recount should be done in a timely and transparent manner.
The high-level talks follow violent demonstrations in Haiti over the deadlocked presidential election.
The foreign ministers also reaffirmed their commitment to three-way co-operation on continental security.
They discussed the economy, international security, energy and climate change and health issues.
Cannon and Clinton rehashed the same talking points that have bedevilled Canada-U.S. border issues for the last decade. They said the 49th parallel must be more permeable to the flow of goods, services and people between the world’s two largest trading partners, while remaining impenetrable to terrorists.
Canadian officials acknowledged there was little time for deep discussion on a wide range of topics.
Clinton arrived mid-morning after Cannon had a separate meeting with Espinosa.
It was Clinton’s third trip to Canada in a year.
The three-way meeting was designed to set the groundwork for a full-fledged leaders’ summit that is expected to be held in Canada early next year.
The strongest and most detailed portions of the closing communique dealt with Haiti.
It also touched on other issues:
“North American partners are increasingly concerned about the security situation throughout Central America and the Caribbean. Ministers renewed their commitment to combating transnational criminal organizations.”
The ministers also paid lip service to the recent United Nations climate change conference that Mexico hosted in Cancun, stressing the need for “an integrated North American approach” to climate change, clean energy and environmental issues “writ large.”
But beyond Haiti, there were few specifics in the one-and-a-half page communique.