Blinken urges Haiti to set up council that would organize elections next year

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on a visit to Haiti on Thursday that he hoped to see an electoral council established soon to organize elections in the Caribbean country next year.

After a meeting with Transitional Presidential Council Coordinator Edgard Leblanc Fils, Blinken said they discussed the electoral council.

"We hope to see that stood up soon, because that's a critical next step in moving forward and organizing elections for next year," he told reporters in Port-au-Prince, according to live video.

Blinken's visit comes as Haiti continues to battle violent gangs that have taken over much of the capital and started moving into nearby regions.

Prime Minister Garry Conille on Wednesday expanded a state of emergency to cover the entire nation.

Blinken said at a separate meeting with Conille that the situation in Haiti was "very challenging" but "promising," lauding progress since the transitional council was established in April after the resignation of former Prime Minister Ariel Henry.

Kenyan police officers who are part of a U.N.-backed security mission began arriving in Haiti in June.

The U.S. is the largest contributor to the mission that Henry requested in 2022 to help fight gangs and reclaim territory.

"Security is the foundation of everything that needs to happen going forward," Blinken said, noting that included holding elections.

(Reporting by Simon Lewis; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)