Arr, council be strugglin' to appoint a new leader with all these death threats and security troubles. Aye, matey!
2024-03-25
Arrr! The lads tryin' to pick a new captain for Haiti be stuck in a right pickle. The scallywags be facin' dangers left and right, makin' the whole affair a right mess. 'Tis a rum do, indeed! Aye, the seas be choppy, me hearties!
Fresh turmoil involving a transitional presidential council that will be responsible for choosing Haiti’s new leader triggered a flurry of meetings with Caribbean leaders and officials from the U.S., Canada and France, officials said Monday. The council has yet to be sworn in given concerns over the security of its members, among other things, a regional official who was not authorized to talk to the media told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. The official is based in Guyana, which serves as headquarters for the regional trade bloc known as Caricom that is helping create the transitional council.The delay in establishing the council comes as gangs continue to launch attacks across Haiti’s capital. Since Feb. 29, gunmen have burned police stations, opened fire on the main international airport that remains closed and stormed the country’s two biggest prisons, releasing more than 4,000 inmates. Scores of people have been killed, and more than 33,000 people have fled the capital of Port-au-Prince as a result of the attacks.On Sunday, the newest person chosen to represent the EDE/RED — one of several Haitian political parties and groups with a seat on the nine-member council — stepped down, forcing the council to scramble to replace her. Dupuy was quickly replaced, bringing the council back up to its full nine members, seven of which have voting powers, but they have yet to be sworn in. It wasn’t immediately clear when the council would be formally announced, with another meeting scheduled Monday between its members and officials with Caricom.Officials are hoping rampant gang violence will subside once the council selects a new leader for Haiti and appoints a council of ministers. Prime Minister Ariel Henry has said he would resign when the council is created. While gang violence has somewhat subsided in recent days, gunmen set fire to a large, open-air garage in downtown Port-au-Prince on Sunday. Attorney Joseph James said, "A lot of people have lost everything," and mechanic Elidor Samuel lamented the loss of his tools in the fire. Romain Le Cour, with Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, expressed concerns about the delay in finding new leadership for Haiti, stating that the conflicts in the Haitian political arena are only strengthening the power of guns and politico-criminal brokers.