Fourteen months ago, armed rebels overthrew the elected Haitian government of Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Since then, neither an interim government nor a force of 7,500 UN peacekeeping soldiers has been able to create stability needed for economic growth. Polls this fall could produce a government with more credibility, but Haiti will need the peacekeepers and other international assistance long after the elections. The issue will come to the fore in June at the UN, which will decide whether to renew the mandate of the UN force that replaced the American troops. The UN should not hesitate to extend that commitment. The putsch by the rebels was an act of regime change that the US could have stopped but chose not to. Now Haiti needs the most basic steps of nation building. Congressman William Delahunt is trying to interest Haitian political and civil leaders in coming to Massachusetts for private conversations on neutral territory. In such a situation, he said, participants could form informal relationships with individuals from across political lines in an atmosphere free of posturing and concern for personal safety. The US should encourage this initiative as one way to begin the reconciliation of Haiti’s well-armed factions. An election that is not based on some level of trust is not going to provide Haiti the leadership it urgently needs. — The Boston Globe