PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti, CMC—Haiti began the search for a new prime minister on Monday in accordance with the Agreement reached on April 3 this year, allowing for the establishment of the Presidential Transitional Council (CPT), which is tasked with ending the political and socio-economic crisis in the French-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country.
Earlier this month, the Fanmi Lavalas political party of former president Jean Bertrand Aristide had threatened to withdraw from the nine-member CPT if Fritz Bélizaire was not removed as prime minister.
The CPT had earlier named Belizaire, a former sports minister, as the country’s prime minister, replacing Michel Patrick Boisvert, the former minister of economy and finance, who was the current interim prime minister.
The Conference of Haitian Pastors (COPAH) has also “strongly” criticized what it described as the “undemocratic approach and the violation of the agreement of April 3, 2024” in the appointment of Belizaire as prime minister.
However, according to the Communications Office of the Presidency, political parties are organizations adhering to the political Agreement for a peaceful and orderly transition of April 3, 2024, in particular, for the CPT to proceed with the official opening of applications for the post of Prime Minister as part of the establishment of transition governance.
Candidates have until May 17 to submit documents for the position in a sealed envelope at the Villa d’Accueil, located in Musseau, and at the following email address: secretariatgeneralpresidence24@gmail.com
According to Article 6 of the political Agreement, candidates must be presented by the sectors forming the CPT or adhering to said Agreement. The Communications Office noted that candidates’ documents must be accompanied by a letter of adhesion from the sector to the Agreement in question.
Seven of the nine-member CPT have voting rights. They include the ‘Pitit Desalin’ party headed by Jean-Charles Moise; the EDE party of former prime minister Charles Joseph; the Fanmi Lavalas party, the December 21 coalition led by Henry; the Montana Accord group—and private sector members.
The non-voting members will be represented by one member from civil society and one from the interfaith community.
The CPT has already named Edgar Leblanc Fils, 68, a veteran politician and former president of Haiti’s national assembly, provisional president.
According to the Communications Office of the Presidency, “concerning articles 51, 52 and 52.1 of the Agreement of April 3, 2024, and given the urgency of establishing the transitional executive power, (prime ministerial) candidates must commit by notarial deed to submit, no later than thirty (30) days after the installation of the Prime Minister, the following documents, under penalty of sanctions by the law, a police certificate issued by the Central Directorate of Judicial Police (DCPJ) or a criminal record issued by the Court of First Instance (TPI, final income tax declaration and a certificate of Declaration of Assets”.
In March, Kenya and Haiti signed an agreement allowing the African country to lead a United Nations Security Council-sanctioned Multinational Security Mission (MSS) to restore peace and security in Haiti.
Last October, the UN Security Council authorized the deployment of the MSS to back Haiti’s beleaguered police force, which Kenya offered to lead. A 2022 sanctions regime targeting gang leaders and their financiers was also renewed.
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