In a short op-ed released to the media yesterday, Haitian presidential candidates Mirlande Manigat and Michel "Sweet Mickey" Martelly joined hands to urge their supporters to restore civility to the battered nation.
Over the weekend Haiti was racked by election-related riots. In the editorial, Manigat and Martelly make it clear that they are not behind the demonstrations and assert that they "do not condone the violent actions you are taking."
"Even though we two are opponents in this election, we feel it is important that we come together on this issue of non-violence," they wrote. "We hope you will join us in this effort."
Both candidates spent the weekend in serene Miami, FL at the ongoing Haiti Reconstruction Conference. Each addressed the delegates at the opening plenary and focused their comments on Haiti's long-term recovery. Neither mentioned the riots.
However, over the weekend the candidates woke up to the reality in their home country.
"Our country has already sustained natural disasters and a major health epidemic, do we need to cause more strife in this nation? The answer is no!" they wrote in the op-ed.
The candidates were first urged to make such a gesture last week by Dominican Republic foreign minister Carlos Morales Troncoso, in an e-mail sent to all the delegates.
"We, the delegation of the Dominican Republic, ask that all presidential candidates disavow the use of violence by their supporters...and commit to using only peaceful means," he wrote.
It is unclear what direct effect Troncoso's e-mail had on the candidates' decision to release the op-ed.
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