Haiti's interim government will hold honest and democratic elections within two years, Haitian Economy and Finance Minister Henri Bazin said on Tuesday. 

The provisional authorities are working for national reconciliation and improvement of people's living conditions, Bazin said at the meeting of the Inter-American Bank of Development (IBD), which started in Lima on Monday.

The interim government seeks to set up the basis for a healthy and transparent administration of the Caribbean nation, Bazin said.

The economy minister urged the international community to facilitate economic assistance to alleviate poverty and social inequality in Haiti.

Bazin reiterated the interim government's commitment to eradicating corruption, strengthening the role of the private sector and stepping up efforts to fight poverty. The government will strengthen public institutions and create conditions for internal saving, he added. 

(Xinhua News Agency March 31, 2004)