By: Trenton Daniel, The Associated Press:
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Haiti’s new president wants a business leader to serve as his prime minister, a government official said Sunday.
The official announcement that President Michel Martelly wants Daniel-Gerard Rouzier to be the country’s No. 2 official comes one day after Martelly, a charismatic pop star known as “Sweet Micky”, was sworn in as Haiti’s next leader in back-to-back ceremonies at a makeshift Parliament and on the lawn of the National Palace, which collapsed in last year’s crippling earthquake.
Parliament must still ratify Rouzier to the post.
Also Sunday, an adviser to current Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive said Bellerive had submitted his resignation to make room for his successor. Bellerive, who also co-chairs Haiti’s reconstruction commission with former U.S. President Bill Clinton, will stay in the job until the new head of government is ratified, his special adviser, Alice Blanchet, told The Associated Press.
The new prime minister will also serve as co-chair of Haiti’s Interim Recovery Commission, whose mandate is due to expire in October. The body has been criticized for not doing enough to house and help survivors of the January 2010 earthquake that claimed 300,000 lives and displaced 2 million others.
Martelly’s chief-of-staff Thierry Mayard-Paul said Sunday that Martelly picked Rouzier as his choice for prime minister because of his record as an established entrepreneur.
Rouzier, an adviser to Martelly, is general manager of Sun Auto, a car dealership, president of E-Power, an electric power project, and involved with Food for the Poor, a charity based in Coconut Creek, Florida.
Rouzier, a political novice, reportedly accompanied Martelly to Washington, D.C., when he met with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and heads of international financial institutions. Martelly and Rouzier have been lifelong friends and played soccer with each other as children, Mayard-Paul said.
Two weeks after the Jan. 12, 2010 earthquake, Rouzier was the focus of a CNN feature in which he vowed to use his own money to bury 2,500 earthquake victims.
“He’s a very successful guy — his resume speaks for itself,” Mayard-Paul said of Rouzier. “We believe that he can be very effective at managing the government.”
Despite his credentials, Rouzier could face a tough time being ratified by parliament, in which Martelly has no party members in the Senate and only three in the Chamber of Deputies.
“We believe there will be a little resistance,” Mayard-Paul said. “But we also believe — and President Martelly believes — that we can show (the parliament) that he’s the right choice.”
Ken Michel, an adviser for Rouzier, said Rouzier was unavailable to comment Sunday evening.
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COMMENT:HAITIAN-TRUTH.ORG
Rouzier may be a good choice but he will have major difficulties being accepted by Parliament.
If he is accepted, his government might last 3 months before falling to a non-confidence vote. He will be starting from a shaky base in which a number of inexperienced Martelly insiders have more say than they should
Martelly may learn from his mistakes and place an acceptable Prime Minister in place, acceptable to all sides. Such a man is Gervais Charles, a close friend of Martelly and one capable of dealing with both chambers of the government.
We are in trouble.
President Michel M.Martelly makes his first historical mistake by choosing his first prime minister among his closed friends.Of course, you govern with friends, goo friends. However, in this very circumstances,Martelly should consider some body else as prime minister to deal with this particalar situation.
Too many risks.Finally, after its rejection,Martelly will be under obligation to pick another friend more mature in both politics,and management skills.
Rouzier could be a very economic advisor to Martelly, but never a good prime minister.And it is not a good thing for Rouzier at all.The system is too bad.He should not distroy a good manager like Rouzier at the first step.
Put him on board right now, is like to kill him once and forever.
I think personally, a man like Raymond Joseph who knows how to deal with Washington, could be the very best choicefor Martelly to serve as his prime minister and Rouzier could be a very good economic advisor or at least a good finance minister or governor of the central bank.
This is my recommandation to the president.And, people will remember my advice when trouble will surfacing and create a cahos to the country at the very begining of this administration.
Do not forget my comments.
Remember! Remember! Remember!
The records will show up quickly.
I am so sorry for Haiti.
Rouzier has several problems but one that upsets Senator Lambert most is his colour. He isn’t Black enough
I don’t think Senator Joseph Lambert could be a problem to accept the candidacy of Rouzier as prime minister.The street says that Senator Joseph Lambert has being reported to the President askong for his protection because, as a drug dealer, he could not survive without the direct contact with the president. Lambert will support Rouzier in order to have his protection and the protection of the president as well.
Inite will votw for Rouzier, but in the course of his administration, he will face the fury of the street and the politicians, and he will not be able to stand.
In any way,Rouzier is not politic and politician enough to lead a government as prime minister.
Rouzier is an intriguing choice. He is not a politician but he has impressive credentials as a business leader and manager. He is also honest and a humanist. He reminds me of the old fashion Haitian man like my dad and others who love Haiti to death. He seems to have all the attributes to rally around a consensus. Martelly has shown a business approach to his politics. Rouzier seems to have the skills and the trust of the president to assess the feasibility of the president’s programs and mandate, and to implement them. Haiti needs a model of governance which can be applied successfully and followed by other presidents after Martelly. We need a method of governance that can be applied consistently regardless of the political parties in power. I would take the risk with Rouzier who is a non politician but a manager and consensus builder. He has 3 months to make his case. Martelly does not surprise me, he keeps making bold and fresh choices.
I agre.
Rouzier will not fly.
There is a danger in that Martelly will be guided, controlled, influenced by his inner circle, many of which have absolutely no experience in anything other than – perhaps – music or soccer. He must be willing to expand his horizons to help Haiti.
Ray Joseph would make an exceptional Prime Minister as would Gervais Charles and a few others…
Mr Daniel-Gerard Rouzier is the best choice for Haiti Prime Minister,i believe that ,the Haitien president make the right jugement by hiring that good and honest Haitien man for Prime Minister,once again congradulation President Martelly.It would be totally discriminated and racist from the those Senators ,if they don,t accept this gold opportunity,those senators need to look-out for the interest of the poor people in Haiti, not their own.
Ray Joseph…What a joke!