Transition Council appoints little-known former Sports Minister Fritz Belizaire as new Prime Minister
Haiti’s newly formed transition council has chosen former sports minister Fritz Belizaire as the country’s prime minister as it strives to establish a new, stable government in the face of stifling violence.
Mr. Belizaire replaces Ariel Henry, criticized by the population for his cynicism and his incompetence in the management of the respublica. Henry then illegally appointed Michel Patrick Boisvert, the former Minister of Economy and Finance, who played the ineffective role of interim Prime Minister.
Mr Henry ruled the country in total chaos for over 30 months of partisan governance, relying solely on his associates in the SDP, Fusio and the RDNP.
Mr. Belizaire is little known and even some members of the council did not know him.
The nine-member transition council, seven of whom have voting rights, chooses a new prime minister and cabinet in a bid to help quell the gang violence that is choking the capital, Port-au-Prince, and its surroundings.
Earlier, the board had chosen Edgard Leblanc Fils, a former presidential candidate, as president. However, he had the support of four of the voting members of the council.
“This experience proves that we are capable of negotiating,” Mr. Fils said after announcing Mr. Belizaire as the new Prime Minister.
Mr. Belizaire’s announcement came as a surprise. A murmur arose among attendees when Mr. Son announced that four voting council members had chosen Mr. Belizaire as prime minister.
Mr. Belizaire served as Haiti’s Minister of Sports during René Préval’s second term, from 2006 to 2011.
Leslie Voltaire, one of the voting members of the council, told The Associated Press, “I don’t know him,” when asked if he supported Mr. Belizaire.
After the brief announcement, which was made nearly two hours after the event was scheduled to take place, the council met again behind closed doors to discuss its choices for the cabinet. Mr. Voltaire, however, said he did not expect the council to announce cabinet selections on Tuesday.
The majority supporting Mr. Belizaire as Prime Minister included Mr. Fils, Smith Augustin, Louis Gerald Gilles and Emmanuel Vertilaire.
The transitional council will act as the country’s presidency until it can hold presidential elections sometime before its dissolution, which must occur before February 2026.
Haitians remain divided over whether a transitional government can help calm a troubled country whose capital has been under siege since gangs launched coordinated attacks on February 29.
Gang members burned police stations, opened fire on the main international airport which remains closed since early March and entered Haiti’s two largest prisons, freeing more than 4,000 inmates. The country’s largest seaport also remains largely paralyzed by gang violence.
The council is expected to support the deployment of a UN-backed Kenyan police force to help combat gangs, although it is unclear when this might happen.
Former de facto Prime Minister Dr. Ariel Henry was on an official trip to the East African country when the coordinated gang attacks began, and he remains stranded outside Haiti. He was forced by his guardians to tender his resignation last week.
