The UN Security Council on Thursday congratulated the Haitian people on the holding of the first round of national elections, calling it a fundamental step towards the restoration of democracy and stability in that country.

In a statement read out by Council President John Bolton of the United States, the council called on all parties to respect the outcome of the elections, remain engaged in the political process and renounce all forms of violence.

Underlining that the electoral process should lead to the inauguration of a representative government, the council also reiterated the importance of national, municipal and local elections and emphasized the need to promote national reconciliation and political dialogues in Haiti once the new government takes office.

While recognizing the importance of elections for democratic institutions and procedures, however, it stressed that they do not constitute the sole means to address the country's longer-term problems and that significant challenges remain, in particular in the fields of the rule of law, security and development.

"Tackling these challenges will require a long-term engagement of the international community," the statement observed.

Source: Xinhua