P-au-P., April 1, 2024 [AlterPresse] — The resigning government announced that, at the request of the Council of Ministers, held on the afternoon of April 1, a draft decree on the creation, organization and operation of the Interim Presidential Council was submitted to jurists so that the latter finalize it and make it compliant with the laws of the Republic.
This announcement was made in a press release made public on social networks early in the evening and consulted by the online agency AlterPresse.
During the council of ministers, led by the resigning de facto prime minister Ariel Henry, members of the government focused on “the best way to create the Interim Presidential Council and appoint its members”.
The press release specifies that, the day before, Prime Minister Ariel Henry received, from the president of the Caribbean Community (Caricom), serving as facilitator in the process, a draft decree “immediately transmitted” to the Council of Ministers.
The Council of Ministers will immediately ask Caricom to transmit to it the political agreement signed between the different sectors which constitute the Interim Presidential Council, the press release continued.
“In the absence of being able to refer to the constitution and the laws of the Republic, the said agreement will serve as a reference for the drafting of the decree.”
The Council of Ministers wants the creation of a joint commission “between those leaving and those entering”, in order to “promote a peaceful and rapid handover of responsibilities”.
Sources close to the Presidential Council fear that delaying tactics will be implemented by the current holders of power.
“The official appointment is in difficulty,” one of these sources said the day before, accusing the government of dragging its feet.
At the same time, parties linked to power and other figures are trying to promote an option that favors the choice of a judge from the Court of Cassation to lead the transition, believing that this approach better corresponds to the political tradition in Haiti.
Furthermore, AlterPresse has learned that proposals are under discussion between the members of the Presidential Council, in order to reach a political agreement, which will seal relations between the sectors forming part of the structure.
The political agreement will notably include the elements of a road map for the transition period, which will last between 18 and 24 months.
US ambassador happy to hear government confirm it’s ready to move forward with transition
The question of the transfer of powers was raised during the meeting, this April 1, between the new American ambassador in Port-au-Prince, Dennis Bruce Hankins, and the de facto minister of foreign affairs, Jean Victor Généus, as well as the Minister of the Economy and interim Prime Minister Michel Patrick Boisvert.
“The ambassador was pleased to hear the government confirm that it is ready to move forward with the transition as soon as the documents of the Presidential Transitional Council are finalized and received in their final form,” indicates the American embassy in a communication through social networks.
Persistent problems
Unrest persists in the context of the process initiated for the establishment of the Presidential Transitional Council.
Bursts of shooting were reported during the day of April 1 again in various locations in the metropolitan area of the capital, Port-au-Prince, according to information gathered by the online agency AlterPresse.
These weapons shots were heard more precisely in the city center of the capital, in particular at Champs de Mars, streets Capois, Lamarre, in Delmas, on the roads of the international airport of Port-au-Prince, and in the peripheral areas of Frères, Vivy Mitchell, Corlette, Métivier, Doco, Méyotte and Clercine. [apr 1er/04/2024 20:40]
Photo: archives
