While it may seem that the political impasse in Haiti may be lifting and some semblance of government is back in place, at the same time the developments show us just how the political elites are very much a part of the problem, and not just the heavily armed rebel gangs.
It just happened that Haiti’s new unelected ‘transitional council’ chose a little-known former sports minister as the new prime minister less than a week after the outgoing cabinet had chosen a different leader.
Associated Press reported:
“Fritz Bélizaire was chosen in a surprise move to replace current interim Prime Minister Michel Patrick Boisvert, gaining the support of four of the seven voting members on the nine-member panel but with other panel members saying they were unfamiliar with Bélizaire.
The council also planned to choose a Cabinet as it seeks to quell gang violence that is choking the capital, Port-au-Prince, and beyond. Heavy gunfire was reported in several of the capital’s neighborhoods during the council’s meeting.”
The new council also chose former presidential candidate Edgard Leblanc Fils as the ‘president of the panel’.
“’This is a very good choice for prime minister’, Fils said of Bélizaire during a brief speech to nearly two dozen attendees. ‘The important thing for us is this will, this determination to go beyond divisions, to overcome conflicts and to reach a consensus’.”
The council additionally met with army and police officials to discuss Haiti’s security crisis, which saw 90,000 people flee the capital in one month as rebel gangs terrorize Port-au-Prince.
The announcement of Bélizaire was unexpected, as he served as Haiti’s sports minister during the second presidency of René Préval from 2006 to 2011.
“Council member Louis Gérald Gilles, who supported Bélizaire, told The Associated Press that the council wanted to act quickly in choosing a prime minister. ‘The Haitian population can no longer wait’, he said. ‘The security issue is essential for societal calm’.”
The council will now move to select a new Cabinet.
“The transitional council will act as the country’s presidency until it can arrange a presidential election some time before it disbands, which must be by February 2026.”
While this transition period may appear to be quite long, one may remember that former Prime Minister Ariel Henry was also meant to be ‘transitional’, but perpetuated his term and never left power until he was toppled by rebel gang violence.
But while the political leaders are jockeying for unelected positions, the heavily armed people who control the streets want to be listened to.
Rebel gang leaders demand political influence and amnesties, and are threatening violence if their demands are not met.
The Guardian reported:
“In an interview with CNN published on Monday, Vitel’homme Innocent, who heads the Kraze Barye gang and is accused of orchestrating the 2021 kidnapping of US missionaries, called for the council to listen to the gangs and find a resolution to the crisis ‘as soon as possible’.
Kraze Barye forms part of a loose coalition of gangs known as Viv Ansanm, or ‘Live Together’, who now control most of Port-au-Prince.
Viv Ansanm’s leader, a former police officer named Jimmy Cherizier who is known as ‘Barbeque’, warned of consequences if the gangs were ignored, in a message shared to social media over the weekend.
‘Viv Ansanm is ready to talk. It’s either we are all at the table, or the table gets destroyed with all of us’, he said.”
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