In a press release on Tuesday, August 20, 2024, the CARICOM Group of Eminent Persons (GPE) presented the report of their visit to Haiti, during which they met with key actors in the transition. The GPE notably highlighted that the allegations of corruption against members of the Transitional Presidential Council (CPT) in the BNC affair are weakening the transition process. It insisted on the need for a rapid resolution to preserve the integrity of the institution and public confidence in this process.
The situation is raising concerns within both the local and international community, including CARICOM.
The communiqué constitutes a summary of the meetings between the GPE and key stakeholders, as well as a report of the concerns raised by the different sectors and the views of eminent personalities.
According to the CARICOM GPE, allegations of corruption against three members of the Transitional Presidential Council are undermining the transition process. According to the GPE, these accusations could not have come at a worse time. It believes that the situation requires a swift resolution in order to preserve the integrity of the institution and public confidence in the transition process.
“In this regard, the investigation by the Anti-Corruption Unit will be of paramount importance,” said the eminent personalities, who considered it necessary “to return to the spirit of the agreement signed in Jamaica on March 11, 2024, which was based on inclusiveness, consensus and responsibility.”
During its stay, the GPE met with several key actors in the transition. Following these meetings, the GPE was encouraged to note that the Council appears to be making efforts to overcome delays in establishing key institutions and entities provided for in the April 3 Agreement between the stakeholders, such as the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP), the Government Action Oversight Body (OCAG), the National Security Council, and the National Conference.
The GPE also discussed the unease among stakeholders “due to the non-publication of the April 3 Agreement, the absence of proposed critical institutions, the inaction of the Council, and the negative impact of this inaction on the corruption allegations against three of its members.”
The CARICOM Eminent Persons Group also noted concerns about the challenges faced by the HNP and the multinational mission in addressing insecurity. According to those who expressed concerns, the Kenyan force appears to be understaffed and underequipped.
“The need to provide adequate funding for the multinational mission to quickly address these equipment and personnel shortfalls was stressed, as these needs are also necessary for the Haitian police,” the statement said.
Some representatives of civil society and political parties not represented in the CPT and the government met with the CARICOM GPE. They unanimously agreed on the need to rethink and reconfigure the CPT, according to the GPE press release.
“The concerns and issues raised were unanimous: the failure of the state to improve security; disappointment at the lack of impact of the presence of Kenyan forces; the erosion of public confidence in the CPT, exacerbated by the corruption scandal and the pressing demands for the removal of the three advisers; the growing concern that, due to delays perceived as inaction, the transition process may not meet the February 2026 deadline for the installation of an elected president,” the eminent personalities report.
The future of the Presidential Transitional Council and presidential advisers remains unclear. The CPT, as a whole, has never made a decision or made any concerted communication on the BNC affair, in which three presidential advisers are accused of having asked Raoul Pierre-Louis, then Chairman of the Board of Directors of the BNC, for 100 million gourdes to keep his position.
By: Daniel Zephyr
