The method of designating Edgard Leblanc Fils as president of the Transitional Council is not unanimous in Haiti. Speaking on the program “Le Rendez-vous avec Volcy Assad”, Wednesday May 1, the Executive Director of the National Network for the Defense of Human Rights Pierre Espérance shouts “Coup d’Etat”. According to Espérance, there was no consensus and the agreement of the majority bloc violates the fundamentals of the agreement of April 3, 2024.
Pierre Espérance criticized the way in which former senator Edgard Leblanc was appointed president of the CPT, stressing that there had not been adequate consensus between all stakeholders. He also questioned compliance with the terms of the April 3, 2024 agreement.
His criticisms focus mainly on the “formalism” surrounding the designation of the leader of the OPL as president of the Presidential Transitional Council, which was made by the Indissoluble Majority Bloc ratified with an agreement signed between the members of the Presidential Council forming part of this majority bloc.
“This document is a coup d’état against the agreement of April 3, 2024,” denounces Pierre Espérance, who evokes the absence of consensus in this factual situation. For him, the appointment of Edgard Leblanc and the proposal of Fritz Bélizaire are marred by irregularities.
Rejecting out of hand this spirit of a majority bloc in the Transitional Presidential Council, Pierre Espérance recalls that this structure is in no way a parliament. He regrets that the decisions were taken by a majority and not a consensus, in accordance, according to him, with the requirements of the April 3 agreement.
To justify that there was no consensus, Pierre Espérance argues that the minority group did not appear at a meeting held the day after the ceremony giving birth to the presidency of Edgard Leblanc Fils. However, the entire council stood to applaud when Edgard Leblanc climbed the podium to make his speech.
The proposal of Fritz Bélizaire as prime minister is also criticized by Pierre Espérance, Executive Director of the National Network for the Defense of Human Rights. “It’s also a coup d’état,” he said, referring to the guidelines of the April 3 agreement which outline a formal procedure for choosing the prime minister.
“According to the agreement, it is the sectors which must appoint their prime minister. Applications must not exceed 15,” he recalls.
Furthermore, according to Pierre Esperance, what happened also resulted from the behavior of Frinel Joseph, an observer member of the council. He believes that the latter should have played a role in imposing the formalization of the majority by organizing the election.
By: Daniel Zéphyr
