Prime Minister of Haiti Ariel Henry will leave his post as part of the political transition period, power in the country will be temporarily transferred to the transitional presidential council, Guyanese President Irfaan Ali said following international negotiations in Jamaica.
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“On the path to free and fair elections, it is necessary to ensure that Haiti is governed in accordance with the rule of law. <…> In this regard, we acknowledge the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry to create a transitional presidential council and the appointment of an interim prime minister ” Ali, who chairs the Caribbean alliance CARICOM, which organized the talks in Jamaica, said during a press conference.
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The declaration, which was drafted by representatives of Haiti, CARICOM countries, the United States, Canada, France and Brazil, calls for the creation of a transitional presidential council consisting of seven voting members representing various Haitian movements and two non-voting observers.
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The Haitian Transitional Presidential Council will temporarily exercise a number of presidential powers, acting by majority vote – to select and appoint an interim Prime Minister, an inclusive council of ministers. The structure will have to “ensure continuity of governance and create a national security council, continue to cooperate with all members of the international community for the accelerated deployment of the multinational security mission authorized by UN Security Council resolution 2699 in 2023.”
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The shooting in the center of the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince and in the area of the international airport began on February 29 in the absence of Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who was in Kenya trying to finalize the details of the deployment of a foreign armed contingent in the country to fight gangs.
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Criminal gangs have paralyzed life in Port-au-Prince, declaring that they intend to prevent Henri from returning to leadership of the country and “liberate” her.
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Haiti has been experiencing a decades-long socio-political crisis that has worsened since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021. Since then, the inaction of the authorities has led to an unprecedented increase in the influence of gangster groups that engage in extortion, kidnapping for ransom and control entire areas of the country, including fuel terminals.
