PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — President Michel Martelly said Friday night that he accepted all the findings of a report this week from a government-appointed commission, including its recommendation that the prime minister resign.
Martelly said during a brief televised speech that Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe was ready to make a sacrifice and resign, although he did not say that Lamothe would step down. Lamothe was at the announcement but did not speak.
Martelly said he would meet with other government officials Monday, while stressing his view that Lamothe had been helping move the country forward.
The president appointed the 11-member commission Nov. 28 to help break a political stalemate that has held up long-delayed legislative and municipal elections that have led to violent protests in recent days.
The commission released its report this week, recommending among other things that Lamothe step down to allow creation of a new consensus government. The panel also called for resignations before Christmas by the president of the Supreme Court and the current members of Haiti’s Provisional Electoral Council, an institution long accused of alleged bias and votes plagued by fraud allegations.
The report also says that several “political prisoners” should be immediately released.
Martelly spoke just hours after United Nations peacekeepers fired at a crowd of protesters who demanded new leadership as they marched through the capital, Port-au-Prince, burning tires and clashing with U.N. troops and police, who also fired tear gas. Associated Press journalists did not observe any injuries or deaths.
U.N. mission spokeswoman Sophie Boutaud de la Combe did not return a message for comment.
Martelly was supposed to call elections in 2011 for a majority of Senate seats, the entire Chamber of Deputies and local offices. But he hasn’t done so, and has filled numerous positions by appointment.
The Chamber of Deputies approved legislation in 2013 that would authorize elections, but six opposition senators have rejected the measure, saying it is unconstitutional and unfairly favors the government.
Administration officials have reiterated that the government wants to hold the elections. The terms of 10 senators expire in mid-January and Parliament will be dissolved, meaning Martelly would rule by decree.
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Associated Press reporter Danica Coto contributed from San Juan, Puerto Rico.
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I hate to say this but Haitians really create their own misery. It is like they don’t listen unless they are staring at a gun aimed for them. Why can’t Haitian compromise or agree to disagree?
Jean Jean- I might go out and guess that the answer is simple.
Greed.
With nations having such deep bank accounts, and the ability to shroud illegal activities, anything is possible.
Perhaps these two will surprise us all and show that compromise is possible.
Let us widen our optics the overseer or Governor of Haiti “Slick Willy” Bill Clinton never approved of Lamorthe to be Haiti’s prime minister. This may sound like a broken record,
Haiti is a systematic mess created by Lavalas and Bill Clinton “Period”.
Provision-If you took the time to actually READ the article, you would see that Bill Clinton gave his personal endorsement to retain Lamothe.
One more time the newspapers report untruth. The UN did not fire at the people. the photo portrays something else, a many pointing a gun – at what?? We do not know. I was there and the UN did nothing.
The people were just an unruly mob, running through the streets, breaking car windows, burning tires and automobiles.
Not a political protest.
Just criminals
And the “political prisoners” were not political. They had created crimes and disorder to be arrested as would they in America.
Sad, sad, sad.
As the saying goes, “The camel has its nose under the tent’s edge.”
The camel will soon be inside and cause the end of Martelly’s government and the return to chaos, disorder, cocaine capital, murder, kidnap.
Lamothe is the first target and Martelly does not realize he is next.
Clinton is a clever politician and a demagogue he will tell the people what they want to hear, no wonder his own countrymen nicknamed him “SLICK WILLY”. Clinton will offer a kid a lolipop with his left hand while his right hand is reaching for the kid’s back pocket.
Mesyé asé asé, kite Lamothe é martelly jéré Peyi an. Si chak lè, se mandé yon chèf léta Pou démisyoné. Haiti pap fè okenn pà avan, se toujou bak péyi an ap fè. Gouvènman an sé yon gouvènman ki trè pwòp, mè opozisyon an kipavlé devlopman en dédan Peyi. Moun sa yo genyen yon estati pwen SAL. Pwen SAL