PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, CMC—UN Secretary-General António Guterres has welcomed the establishment of a transitional council in Haiti tasked with choosing new political leadership and holding elections in the crisis-torn CARICOM country.
In a statement issued on Saturday by his Spokesman, the UN chief, he welcomed the publication of a decree formally establishing the Transitional Presidential Council, which is tasked with choosing Haiti’s next prime minister and Cabinet.
“[He] urges all Haitian stakeholders to continue making progress in putting in place transitional governance arrangements, including the timely appointment of an interim Prime Minister and government, and the nomination of the members of the Provisional Electoral Council,” said the statement.
Further, Guterres takes note of the functions of the Transitional Presidential Council, including working with all members of the international community to accelerate the deployment of the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission authorized last year by the UN Security Council.
“He reiterates his call on all Member States to contribute to the MSS,” the statement concluded.
Last Friday, the Transitional Presidential Council (CPT) in Haiti said the political agreement had been finalized between the different political, economic, and civil society sectors constituting it.
“This agreement, which has been harmonized with the decree document on the organization and operation of the CPT, will be immediately signed by the stakeholders, and then the two documents will be officially transmitted to the Government via CARICOM, the body facilitating the dialogue process,” the CPT said in a statement.
“The political agreement expresses a common vision of the transition constructed by the sectors and represents a responsible commitment to the Haitian people. It indicates the broad outlines of the road map for the transition period that the Presidential Council will be responsible for executing jointly with the next consensus government. To put the country back on the path to stability, peace, union, and progress.”
Amid a political vacuum, Haiti’s powerful and well-armed gangs have launched coordinated attacks on various targets since February, including police stations, prisons, airports, and seaports, resulting in the resignation in March of Prime Minister Ariel Henry.
Even as the capital, Port-au-Prince, and much of the surrounding area remain in the grip of rampaging gangs, UN humanitarians are continuing to offer emergency aid to those impacted.
The World Food Programme (WFP) recently provided 19,000 meals to displaced civilians in Port-au-Prince and school lunches to 200,000 children in other provinces.
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