P-to-P., April 15, 2024 [AlterPresse] — The government proceeded on the evening of April 16, 2024 to the publication of the order appointing the 9 members of the Presidential Transitional Council, notes AlterPresse.
This publication, dated April 16, was made through the X account of the prime minister’s office (prime minister’s office), following more than 24 hours of confusion surrounding this appointment.
According to article 1 of the decree, the Presidential Council includes the following seven voting members: Smith Augustin, Louis Gérald Gilles, Fritz Alphonse Jean, Edgard Leblanc fils, Laurent St Cyr, Emmanuel Vertilaire and Leslie Voltaire.
The two non-voting members (observers) are Régine Abraham and Frinel Joseph.
The decree, taken in the council of ministers, is initialed by the outgoing de facto prime minister, Ariel Henry, who is abroad, and the other members of the government.
The document is marked “errata” and “reproduction”.
The reproduced order contains three considerations which concern the eligibility of members of the Presidential Transitional Council:
“Considering that the different sectors, parties to the consensus, have formally and, in full knowledge of the facts, designated their representatives to the Presidential Transitional Council, which implies that they have chosen them while taking care to verify that they respond well the eligibility criteria established by the Constitution and agreed to in the agreement reached on March 11, 2024 in Kingston, Jamaica; »
“Considering that a counter-verification by the Council of Ministers of the eligibility of the designated persons is made almost impossible, due to the non-presentation to date of the required documents; »
“Whereas to speed up the ongoing process. it is necessary to appoint the members of the Presidential Transitional Council, it is up to them to submit the documents required subsequently within a reasonable time and. that if they cannot do so, they will be obliged to resign. »
The government coalition “Agreement of December 21, 2022” is part of the negotiations which resulted in the choice of members of the Presidential Transitional Council.
The other sectors are: Agreement of August 30, 2021 known as the Montana Agreement, Collective of Political Parties of January 30, 2023, Fanmi Lavalas Political Organization, Pitit Desalin Party, Democratic Resistance Platform (RED/EDE) and the Historical Compromise political grouping, Employer associations and groups of Haitian businessmen and women, Civil Society Group, Rally for a National Agreement (Ren)/Inter-Foi.
Confusion reigned since the government denied, on April 15, 2024, in a communication on social networks, the publication of the decree, described as “Fake News”, immediately after the document was broadcast on various networks.
The previous special issue of the official newspaper Le Moniteur containing the first version of the order appointing members of the Presidential Transitional Council would have actually been published, according to the former president of the Chamber of Deputies Jean Tholbert Alexis, of the Ansanm Nou political party Fò, member of the Agreement of December 21, 2022, on which the de facto power still in place is based.
“Too much procrastination and trial and error. We can no longer go back,” said the former parliamentarian, inviting those concerned to take all measures for the installation of the Council, in a context of deep crisis.
The publication on April 12, 2024 of the decree creating the state body Presidential Transitional Council was welcomed by the international community, hoping for an order appointing its members shortly.
The European Union called on the government, on April 15, to make the formal appointment of the Presidential Transitional Council “without further delay”.
In a statement issued by his Diplomatic Service, he considered that “it is now crucial that the Presidential Transitional Council be formally appointed, without further delay, by the outgoing government of Prime Minister Ariel Henry. This will then allow the appointment of a new prime minister by this council.”
For their part, in a position dated April 13, 2024, stakeholders signatories of the political agreement of April 3, 2024 for a peaceful and orderly transition on the political situation in the country said they were deeply shocked upon learning of the decree published on April 12, 2024 by the government chaired by Prime Minister Dr. Ariel Henry.
The organizations involved in the dialogue process denounced the introduction of major modifications which distort the consensual project of a two-headed executive supported by the Presidential Transitional Council, a consensus patiently and laboriously built between the stakeholders from March 11, 2024.
While contesting the validity of the decree of April 12, 2024 for various reasons, they call for the political agreement and the document establishing the organization and functioning of the Presidential Council to be published in Le Moniteur. [apr 15/04/2024 21:45]
