{"id":200502,"date":"2024-05-01T11:54:25","date_gmt":"2024-05-01T15:54:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/?p=200502"},"modified":"2024-05-01T11:54:27","modified_gmt":"2024-05-01T15:54:27","slug":"the-unexpected-announcement-of-a-prime-minister-divides-haitis-newly-created-transitional-council","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/the-unexpected-announcement-of-a-prime-minister-divides-haitis-newly-created-transitional-council\/","title":{"rendered":"The unexpected announcement of a prime minister divides Haiti\u2019s newly created transitional council"},"content":{"rendered":"
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(AP) \u2014 A surprise announcement that revealed Haiti\u2019s new prime minister<\/a> is threatening to fracture a recently installed transitional council tasked with choosing new leaders for the gang-riddled Caribbean country.<\/p>

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Four of seven council members with voting powers<\/a> said Tuesday that they had chosen Fritz B\u00e9lizaire as prime minister, taking many Haitians aback with their declaration and unexpected political alliance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The council members who oppose B\u00e9lizaire, who served as Haiti\u2019s sports minister during the second presidency of Ren\u00e9 Pr\u00e9val from 2006 to 2011, are now weighing options including fighting the decision or resigning from the council.<\/a><\/p>

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A person with direct knowledge of the situation who did not want to be identified because negotiations are ongoing said the council\u2019s political accord<\/a> had been violated by the unexpected move and that some council members are considering other choices as potential prime minister.<\/p>

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The council on Tuesday was scheduled to hold an election and choose its president. But two hours and a profuse apology later, one council member said that not only a council president had been chosen, but a prime minister as well. Murmurs rippled through the room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"IDENTIFIES
Transitional Council members, from left to right; Fritz Alphonse Jean, Laurent Saint-Cyr, Frinel Joseph, Edgard Leblanc Fils, Regine Abraham, Emmanuel Vertilaire, Smith Augustin, Leslie Voltaire and Louis Gerald Gilles, pose for a group photo after a ceremony to name its president and a prime minister in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Tuesday, April 30, 2024. Fils was chosen as the president of the panel. (AP Photo\/Odelyn Joseph)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Montana Accord, a civil society group represented by a council member with voting powers, denounced in a statement late Tuesday what it called a \u201ccomplot\u201d hatched by four council members against the Haitian people \u201cin the middle of the night.\u201d<\/p>

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\u201cThe political and economic mafia forces have decided to take control of the presidential council and the government so that they can continue to control the state,\u201d the Montana Accord said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Haitian politics have long been characterized by secretive dealings, but many worry the country cannot afford further political instability as gangs lay siege to the capital<\/a> of Port-au-Prince and beyond.<\/p>

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ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>

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\u201cPeople change parties (like) they\u2019re changing their shirts,\u201d said Fran\u00e7ois Pierre-Louis, a professor of political science at Queens College in New York and former Haitian politician.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He spoke during an online webinar on Tuesday evening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like others, he said he believed that Jean-Charles Mo\u00efse, a powerful politician who was a former senator and presidential candidate, was behind B\u00e9lizaire\u2019s nomination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cInterestingly, Mo\u00efse, of all the politicians there, is the one calling the shots,\u201d Pierre-Louis said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Transitional
Transitional council member Frisnel Joseph speaks during a ceremony to name its president and a prime minister in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Tuesday, April 30, 2024. The transitional council will act as the country\u2019s presidency until it can arrange presidential elections sometime before it disbands, which must be by February 2026. (AP Photo\/Odelyn Joseph)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Mo\u00efse, however, does not sit on the council. His party, Pitit Desalin, is represented by Emmanuel Vertilaire, who is among the four council members who support B\u00e9lizaire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The others are Louis G\u00e9rald Gilles, Smith Augustin and Edgard Leblanc Fils, the council\u2019s new president.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They could not be immediately reached for comment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fils represents the January 30 political group, which is made up of parties including PHTK, whose members include former President Michel Martelly and slain President Jovenel Mo\u00efse. Meanwhile, Augustin represents the EDE\/RED political party, founded by former Prime Minister Claude Joseph, and Gilles represents the Dec. 21 agreement, which is associated with f ormer Prime Minister Ariel Henry,<\/a> who recently resigned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A document shared with The Associated Press and signed by the four council members who chose the new prime minister state they have agreed to make decisions by consensus. The document is titled, \u201cConstitution of an Indissoluble Majority Bloc within the Presidential Council.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Henry was on an official visit to Kenya to push for the U.N.-backed deployment of a police force from the East African country when gangs in Haiti launched coordinated attacks starting Feb. 29.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They have burned police stations, opened fire on the main international airport that remains closed since early March and stormed Haiti\u2019s two biggest prisons, releasing more than 4,000 inmates. The violence continues unabated in certain part of Port-au-Prince, including the area around the National Palace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Street vendors move their booth after gunshots broke out near the National Palace in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (AP Photo\/Ramon Espinosa)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Police patrol near the National Palace amid the sound of gunshots in the distance in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (AP Photo\/Ramon Espinosa)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Haitians are demanding that security be a top priority for the council, which is tasked with selecting a new prime minister and Cabinet, as well as prepare for eventual general elections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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But some Haitians are wary of the council and the decisions it\u2019s taking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jean Selc\u00e9, a 57-year-old electrician, noted that most of the council members are longtime politicians: \u201cTheir past is not really positive.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI hope their mentality can change, but I don\u2019t believe it will,\u201d he said. \u201cThey don\u2019t really love the country. Who\u2019s dying right now? It\u2019s Haitians like me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Robert Fatton, a Haitian politics expert at the University of Virginia, noted that some of the parties represented on the council are responsible for the current chaos in Haiti.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a contradiction,\u201d he said. \u201cEvery time we seem to be in a crisis, we reappoint the same people and hope that they change their ways, but they do not.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Raising the same criticism is Michael Deibert, author of \u201cNotes From the Last Testament: The Struggle for Haiti,\u201d and \u201cHaiti Will Not Perish: A Recent History.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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He noted in a recent essay that the council is \u201cdominated by the same political currents who have spent the last 25 years driving Haiti over a cliff, taking advantage of impoverished young men in the slums to be used as political bludgeons before – bloated on the proceeds from kidnapping, extortion, drug trafficking and other criminal enterprises – these groups outgrew the necessity of their patrons.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More than 2,500 people have been killed or injured across Haiti from January to March, according to the U.N.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, more than 90,000 people have fled Port-au-Prince in just one month given the relentless gang violence.<\/p>\n

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(AP) \u2014 A surprise announcement that revealed Haiti\u2019s new prime minister is threatening to fracture a recently installed transitional council tasked with choosing new leaders for the gang-riddled Caribbean country. Four of seven council members with voting powers said Tuesday that they had chosen Fritz B\u00e9lizaire as prime minister, taking many Haitians aback with their declaration and unexpected political […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":200503,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-200502","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-regional"],"yoast_head":"\nThe unexpected announcement of a prime minister divides Haiti\u2019s newly created transitional council - Antigua News Room<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/the-unexpected-announcement-of-a-prime-minister-divides-haitis-newly-created-transitional-council\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The unexpected announcement of a prime minister divides Haiti\u2019s newly created transitional council\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"(AP) \u2014 A surprise announcement that revealed Haiti\u2019s new prime minister is threatening to fracture a recently installed transitional council tasked with choosing new leaders for the gang-riddled Caribbean country. 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The transitional council will act as the country\u2019s presidency until it can arrange presidential elections sometime before it disbands, which must be by February 2026. (AP Photo\/Odelyn Joseph) IDENTIFIES TRANSITIONAL COUNCIL MEMBERS - Transitional Council members, from left to right; Fritz Alphonse Jean, Laurent Saint-Cyr, Frinel Joseph, Edgard Leblanc Fils, Regine Abraham, Emmanuel Vertilaire, Smith Augustin, Leslie Voltaire and Louis Gerald Gilles, pose for a group photo after a ceremony to name its president and a prime minister in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Tuesday, April 30, 2024. Fils was chosen as the president of the panel. (AP Photo\/Odelyn Joseph) 2 of 7 | IDENTIFIES TRANSITIONAL COUNCIL MEMBERS - Transitional Council members, from left to right; Fritz Alphonse Jean, Laurent Saint-Cyr, Frinel Joseph, Edgard Leblanc Fils, Regine Abraham, Emmanuel Vertilaire, Smith Augustin, Leslie Voltaire and Louis Gerald Gilles, pose for a group photo after a ceremony to name its president and a prime minister in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Tuesday, April 30, 2024. Fils was chosen as the president of the panel. (AP Photo\/Odelyn Joseph) Read More Transitional council member Frisnel Joseph speaks during a ceremony to name its president and a prime minister in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Tuesday, April 30, 2024. The transitional council will act as the country\u2019s presidency until it can arrange presidential elections sometime before it disbands, which must be by February 2026. (AP Photo\/Odelyn Joseph) 3 of 7 | Transitional council member Frisnel Joseph speaks during a ceremony to name its president and a prime minister in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Tuesday, April 30, 2024. The transitional council will act as the country\u2019s presidency until it can arrange presidential elections sometime before it disbands, which must be by February 2026. (AP Photo\/Odelyn Joseph) Edgard Leblanc Fils speaks after the transitional council named him president of the council in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Tuesday, April 30, 2024. The transitional council will act as the country\u2019s presidency until it can arrange presidential elections sometime before it disbands, which must be by February 2026. (AP Photo\/Odelyn Joseph) 4 of 7 | Edgard Leblanc Fils speaks after the transitional council named him president of the council in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Tuesday, April 30, 2024. The transitional council will act as the country\u2019s presidency until it can arrange presidential elections sometime before it disbands, which must be by February 2026. (AP Photo\/Odelyn Joseph) CORRECTS DAY - People run for cover as shots ring out near the National Palace in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (AP Photo\/Ramon Espinosa) 5 of 7 | CORRECTS DAY - People run for cover as shots ring out near the National Palace in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (AP Photo\/Ramon Espinosa) Police patrol near the National Palace amid the sound of gunshots in the distance in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (AP Photo\/Ramon Espinosa) 6 of 7 | Police patrol near the National Palace amid the sound of gunshots in the distance in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (AP Photo\/Ramon Espinosa) Street vendors move their booth after gunshots broke out near the National Palace in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (AP Photo\/Ramon Espinosa) 7 of 7 | Street vendors move their booth after gunshots broke out near the National Palace in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Tuesday, April 30, 2024. 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Four of seven council members with voting powers said Tuesday that they had chosen Fritz B\u00e9lizaire as prime minister, taking many Haitians aback with their declaration and unexpected political […]","og_url":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/the-unexpected-announcement-of-a-prime-minister-divides-haitis-newly-created-transitional-council\/","og_site_name":"Antigua News Room","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/antiguanewsroom","article_published_time":"2024-05-01T15:54:25+00:00","article_modified_time":"2024-05-01T15:54:27+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1440,"height":960,"url":"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/pm.webp","type":"image\/webp"}],"author":"Editor","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@AntiguaNewsRoom","twitter_site":"@AntiguaNewsRoom","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Editor","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/the-unexpected-announcement-of-a-prime-minister-divides-haitis-newly-created-transitional-council\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/the-unexpected-announcement-of-a-prime-minister-divides-haitis-newly-created-transitional-council\/"},"author":{"name":"Editor","@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#\/schema\/person\/36cac05ef6398fe56ae3e6317f8535c5"},"headline":"The unexpected announcement of a prime minister divides Haiti\u2019s newly created transitional council","datePublished":"2024-05-01T15:54:25+00:00","dateModified":"2024-05-01T15:54:27+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/the-unexpected-announcement-of-a-prime-minister-divides-haitis-newly-created-transitional-council\/"},"wordCount":1079,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/the-unexpected-announcement-of-a-prime-minister-divides-haitis-newly-created-transitional-council\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1440\/h:960\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/pm.webp","articleSection":["Regional"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/the-unexpected-announcement-of-a-prime-minister-divides-haitis-newly-created-transitional-council\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/the-unexpected-announcement-of-a-prime-minister-divides-haitis-newly-created-transitional-council\/","url":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/the-unexpected-announcement-of-a-prime-minister-divides-haitis-newly-created-transitional-council\/","name":"The unexpected announcement of a prime minister divides Haiti\u2019s newly created transitional council - Antigua News Room","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/the-unexpected-announcement-of-a-prime-minister-divides-haitis-newly-created-transitional-council\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/the-unexpected-announcement-of-a-prime-minister-divides-haitis-newly-created-transitional-council\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1440\/h:960\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/pm.webp","datePublished":"2024-05-01T15:54:25+00:00","dateModified":"2024-05-01T15:54:27+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/the-unexpected-announcement-of-a-prime-minister-divides-haitis-newly-created-transitional-council\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/the-unexpected-announcement-of-a-prime-minister-divides-haitis-newly-created-transitional-council\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/the-unexpected-announcement-of-a-prime-minister-divides-haitis-newly-created-transitional-council\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1440\/h:960\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/pm.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1440\/h:960\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/pm.webp","width":1440,"height":960,"caption":"1 of 7 | Edgard Leblanc Fils, left, and Smith Augustin prepare to pose for a group photo with the transitional council after it named Fils as its president in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Tuesday, April 30, 2024. The transitional council will act as the country\u2019s presidency until it can arrange presidential elections sometime before it disbands, which must be by February 2026. (AP Photo\/Odelyn Joseph) IDENTIFIES TRANSITIONAL COUNCIL MEMBERS - Transitional Council members, from left to right; Fritz Alphonse Jean, Laurent Saint-Cyr, Frinel Joseph, Edgard Leblanc Fils, Regine Abraham, Emmanuel Vertilaire, Smith Augustin, Leslie Voltaire and Louis Gerald Gilles, pose for a group photo after a ceremony to name its president and a prime minister in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Tuesday, April 30, 2024. Fils was chosen as the president of the panel. (AP Photo\/Odelyn Joseph) 2 of 7 | IDENTIFIES TRANSITIONAL COUNCIL MEMBERS - Transitional Council members, from left to right; Fritz Alphonse Jean, Laurent Saint-Cyr, Frinel Joseph, Edgard Leblanc Fils, Regine Abraham, Emmanuel Vertilaire, Smith Augustin, Leslie Voltaire and Louis Gerald Gilles, pose for a group photo after a ceremony to name its president and a prime minister in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Tuesday, April 30, 2024. Fils was chosen as the president of the panel. (AP Photo\/Odelyn Joseph) Read More Transitional council member Frisnel Joseph speaks during a ceremony to name its president and a prime minister in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Tuesday, April 30, 2024. The transitional council will act as the country\u2019s presidency until it can arrange presidential elections sometime before it disbands, which must be by February 2026. (AP Photo\/Odelyn Joseph) 3 of 7 | Transitional council member Frisnel Joseph speaks during a ceremony to name its president and a prime minister in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Tuesday, April 30, 2024. The transitional council will act as the country\u2019s presidency until it can arrange presidential elections sometime before it disbands, which must be by February 2026. (AP Photo\/Odelyn Joseph) Edgard Leblanc Fils speaks after the transitional council named him president of the council in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Tuesday, April 30, 2024. The transitional council will act as the country\u2019s presidency until it can arrange presidential elections sometime before it disbands, which must be by February 2026. (AP Photo\/Odelyn Joseph) 4 of 7 | Edgard Leblanc Fils speaks after the transitional council named him president of the council in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Tuesday, April 30, 2024. The transitional council will act as the country\u2019s presidency until it can arrange presidential elections sometime before it disbands, which must be by February 2026. (AP Photo\/Odelyn Joseph) CORRECTS DAY - People run for cover as shots ring out near the National Palace in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (AP Photo\/Ramon Espinosa) 5 of 7 | CORRECTS DAY - People run for cover as shots ring out near the National Palace in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (AP Photo\/Ramon Espinosa) Police patrol near the National Palace amid the sound of gunshots in the distance in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (AP Photo\/Ramon Espinosa) 6 of 7 | Police patrol near the National Palace amid the sound of gunshots in the distance in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (AP Photo\/Ramon Espinosa) Street vendors move their booth after gunshots broke out near the National Palace in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (AP Photo\/Ramon Espinosa) 7 of 7 | Street vendors move their booth after gunshots broke out near the National Palace in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Tuesday, April 30, 2024. 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