Haiti decrees long-awaited transition council, but questions remain
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[April 13, 2024]
PORT-AU-PRINCE (Reuters) -Haiti's government formalized
the creation of a nine-member transitional presidential council on
Friday, a long-delayed move intended as the first step in restoring
security to the gang-ravaged Caribbean country.
The decree, however, leaves many questions unanswered.
It does not name the new council members or establish a time frame for
installing the council and replacing Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who
pledged one month ago to step down once his successor was in place.
Indicating the unelected Henry will initially retain oversight of
proceedings, the decree allows the current prime minister to make the
"necessary arrangements" ahead of the new appointments. Those chosen
must then "participate, in agreement with the prime minister, in the
formation of an inclusive ministers' cabinet."
It calls on the council to help speed the deployment of international
troops Henry requested in 2022 to aid police in their battles with armed
and increasingly powerful gangs.
Nearly 95,000 people have fled the metropolitan area of the capital
Port-au-Prince in the last month as armed gangs have cemented their
control. Haitians are lacking basic goods as key ports remain closed,
while the outgoing government remains absent.
The decree, published in Haiti's official gazette, names the nine
political parties or social sectors to be represented on the council,
including two non-voting observers, confirming an announcement made last
month.
The transition plan was announced on March 11 as armed men mounted
attacks on parts of Port-au-Prince they did not already control, while
Henry remained stranded outside the country.
Friday's decree stipulates the council be headquartered in the National
Palace in downtown Port-au-Prince, which has come under fire several
times in the past weeks.
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'VERY DIFFICULT'
After the decree was published, local media reported more gunfire in
parts of Port-au-Prince. An officer, Pierre Fritz Chenet, was shot dead
while visiting relatives on the port side of the city, a police union
spokesperson said.
The government said in a separate statement it had invited the
designated council representatives to submit documents to prove their
eligibility at government offices in the capital.
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![](../images/041324PIX/news_g10.jpg)
People walk past remains of vehicles near the presidential palace,
after they were set on fire by gangs, as violence spreads and armed
gangs expand their control over the capital, in Port-au-Prince,
Haiti March 25, 2024. REUTERS/Ralph Tedy Erol/File Photo
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The transition plan was agreed with the mediation of the Caribbean
Community (CARICOM). The nine groups named by CARICOM a month ago
and in Friday's decree have all put forward council candidates, but
their nominations have yet to be formalized despite frequent pledges
that such an announcement was near.
Camille LeBlanc, a lawyer and former justice minister, said he
thought some of the candidates put forward might be rejected and
that it could take some time before the council is installed, given
the difficulties of processing legal documents.
"It could be very difficult," LeBlanc told Reuters, adding that
while he doubted the council's prospects, he supported it if it
could move the country past the current deadlock, help reopen ports
and bring essential food supplies to a country facing acute hunger.
"To declare the transition council must 'rapidly' name a prime
minister is utopian," added
Port-au-Prince lawyer Camille Fievre said it was "utopian" to expect
the council to "rapidly" appoint a prime minister.
"Perhaps a time frame ought to have been determined. In the
meantime, Mr Ariel Henry remains prime minister," Fievre said. "As
it stands there is no guarantee the members already chosen will be
retained, as no verifications have been carried out in this
respect."
The delayed transition has prompted critics to accuse Henry's allies
of hampering the process in order to hold onto power. The government
has said it is working through legal and constitutional problems "as
fast as possible."
CARICOM welcomed Friday's decree, reiterating the need for the new
leaders to urgently address the security situation so schools and
businesses can reopen and people can travel freely and access basic
supplies.
(Reporting by Harold Isaac in Port-au-Prince, and Brendan O'Boyle
and Sarah Morland in Mexico City; Editing by Rosalba O'Brien and
William Mallard)
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