A transitional presidential council is tasked with choosing an interim prime minister for Haiti, which is still immersed in gang violence. All organizations and political parties, except for one, have submitted nominations, according to Caribbean leaders.
Following the Pitit Desalin party’s rejection of a seat last week, which is led by former senator and presidential candidate Jean-Charles Moïse, the initial nine-member council was reduced to eight members. Moïse had a close relationship with Guy Philippe, a former rebel commander and police officer who was imprisoned in the US after admitting to money laundering.
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Aligned with Prime Minister Ariel Henry, the December 21 group was among the last groups to submit a name to the regional trade organization, CARICOM. Group leaders had been bickering over possible nominees, which had delayed its nomination.
After equipped gunmen launched attacks in the capital, Port-au-Prince, on February 29, the UN-backed deployment of a police force from East Africa to combat gangs in Haiti was postponed. Henry, who is still barred from entering the country due to ongoing gang violence that has forced the closure of the country’s main international airport, has pledged to step down once the transitional council is established.
Farhan Haq, the UN deputy spokesperson, recently informed reporters: “Kenya has concerns about the makeup of the government on the ground”.
“We certainly hope that they will be able to deploy as quickly as possible,” he noted. “But they have their concerns. And for our part, what we want to make sure is that the transitional government arrangements can be implemented.”
More than 4,000 prisoners have been released from Haiti’s two largest prisons after gangs assaulted and burned police stations and the country’s principal international airport. In two affluent districts that had been quiet before, they assaulted and pillaged homes on March 18, 2024, murdering at least a dozen people in the process.
According to reports from the UN humanitarian office, the situation in Port-au-Prince “remains tense and volatile,” with attacks on government buildings, hospitals, and schools occurring, and many businesses having to halt operations, according to Haq.
He continued by saying that the health industry is still having trouble since there aren’t enough medical supplies, doctors, or blood.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that several individuals have lost their lives in the attacks, and over 17,000 have been rendered homeless, with the bulk escaping to the safer southern area of Haiti.
“We are very concerned about the violence,” said Irfaan Ali, the president of Guyana and head of CARICOM.
That evening, he told reporters that given the circumstances, time was of importance and that officials were still optimistic about progress.
“We have been having continuous meetings almost every night because the Haitians have to get the presidential council in place,” he noted. “Progress has been made.”
Aside from selecting an interim prime minister, the council will also choose a council of ministers, a temporary electoral council, and a national security council; each member of the transitional council will also need to endorse the use of foreign military force.
