Port-au-Prince (AFP) – Haiti’s interim leader, Jocelerme Privert, officially swore in his cabinet Monday, promising an urgent push forward to get the Caribbean nation’s electoral process back on track.
“You will not have the luxury of any grace period: It is already time to get to work” he told cabinet ministers at the National Palace.
Haiti has been fighting to emerge from a political crisis since a runoff presidential election in January was suspended amid allegations of fraud on the part of the government.
Privert, 62, was named acting president to replace the outgoing Michel Martelly and appointed a prime minister in late February — former central bank governor Fritz-Alphonse Jean. But lawmakers rejected his program to form a government, so Jean could not serve.
Privert, whose mandate began February 14 and is to last 120 days, went back to the drawing board and named Enex Jean-Charles as prime minister.
The 55-year-old civil servant and professor of administrative law has previously served as an adviser to several presidents.
The 15-member cabinet proposed by Jean-Charles was approved in both the senate and the lower chamber.
Privert’s main job going forward will be to steer the electoral process back on track and hold the postponed runoff vote.
In October Martelly’s favored candidate, Jovenel Moise, won the first round of presidential voting 33 percent to 25 percent over runner-up Jude Celestin.
The opposition politician denounced the results as a “ridiculous farce.”
A scheduled January 24 runoff between Moise and Celestin was canceled when Celestin refused to participate unless widespread electoral reforms were enacted, and following violence and protests.
Thirty years after the end of the Duvalier dictatorship, Haiti is still struggling to hold credible elections that would boost development and raise the standard of living for the 60 percent of the population living below the poverty line.
Haiti also is still dealing with the aftermath of the powerful January 2010 earthquake that killed some 160,000 people and caused widespread destruction.
Too bad these men in uniform do not have tazers. That would simplify getting these jerks out of the crowd. Taze them, and drag them away by their pant legs. So what if one of them has a 600 dollar silk shirt on.
Haiti – News : Zapping politics…
Installation of PM in disorder…
Monday at the Primature, during the installation of the new Prime Minister Enex Jean-Charles, of political organizations, popular sector… created disorder in manifested loudly within the grounds of the Primature, demanding among other the arrest of Prime Minister Evans Paul. The security agents of the Primature have strongly intervened to take control of the situation, a dozen activists have been arrested. Subsequently the pro and anti Privert clashed verbally. Despite these disorders, installation speech continued… http://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-17004-haiti-flash-the-government-is-installed.html
Appointment of members of CEP
Monday at the Primature at the installation ceremony of the Prime Minister, with the objective of moving forward rapidly, the President a.i. Privert announced the holding of a Council of Ministers, Tuesday, March 29, 2016 to name the new Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) stating that the new Electoral Council will take shape tomorrow (Tuesday).
“The responsibility of each of us is engaged” dixit the PM
Monday at the Primature at the installation ceremony of Prime Minister Enex Jean-Charles by the provisional President Jocelerme Privert, the new Head of Government addressing the executives of public administration, especially those of the Primature and new ministers declared “The responsibility of each of us is therefore engaged through the various ministries you will have the responsability because the effectiveness of the governmental action will be appreciated through our actions and results that take particular account of the needs of the population. Emphasis will certainly be put on the spirit of dialogue and tolerance, rigor, transparency, good governance, mutual trust, shared vision of responsibility and especially government solidarity on which I insist, because unity in diversity is a requirement of collective work. I rely on the full collaboration of all of you in achieving the objectives […]”
Sauveur Pierre Etienne wishes compliance with deadlines
Sauveur Pierre Etienne, the Coordinator of the Organization of People in Struggle (OPL) wishes that the deadlines contained in the agreement of 6 February are met including the inauguration of an elected president on May 14 http://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-16533-haiti-politic-the-details-of-the-agreement-from-a-to-z.html . He also expects that the government will address the Nation to explain how it will meet the deadlines given the backlog.
Installation of new Minister of Culture
On Monday, in the premises of the Ministry of Culture is in an atmosphere of friendliness and humor that took place the installation ceremony in office of Marc Aurèle Garcia the new Minister of Culture and communication who succeeds to Dithny Joan Raton.
During this ceremony the Minister Garcia has not failed to make the history of his passage in the public service (Owner of Haiti en Marche and radio Mélodie) and took the opportunity to reaffirm its commitment to make this structure a preferred partner for the “Journalists and media workers.”