The new prime minister backed by major international diplomats will be responsible Haiti, An official said on Monday that the move appeared to be aimed at avoiding a leadership struggle following the assassination of President Jovenal Moise.
Haitian election minister Matthias Pierre told the Associated Press that Ariel Henry was appointed as prime minister before Moise was killed, but was never sworn in and he will succeed the country’s interim prime minister.
It is not clear how soon Claude Joseph, who has been leading Haiti with the support of the police and the military since Moise’s assassination on July 7, will step down.
“Negotiations are still ongoing,” Pierre said, adding that Joseph would return to the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs. Joseph did not immediately comment.
In the recording, Henry called himself prime minister and called for unity, stating that he will soon announce members of what he calls a provisional consensus government to lead the country until elections.
“I pay tribute to the Haitian people, who have shown political maturity in the face of events that might be regarded as a coup. … Our Haitian brothers gave peace a chance while leaving the possibility that the truth could one day be restored. Sex,” Henry said.
“Now it is the leaders of all countries that are united and moving towards the same goal to show that they have a sense of responsibility.”
The political change came after a statement on Saturday, and a group of key international diplomats seemed to dismiss Joseph because it called for the establishment of “a mutually agreed and inclusive government.”
The core team’s statement said: “For this reason, it strongly encourages the appointed Prime Minister, Ariel Henry, to continue to carry out the tasks entrusted to him to form such a government.”
The core team is composed of ambassadors from Germany, Brazil, Canada, Spain, the United States, France, the European Union, and representatives from the United Nations and the Organization of American States.
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On Monday, the United Nations issued a statement calling on Joseph, Henry and other national stakeholders to “set aside their differences and engage in constructive dialogue on ways to end the current impasse.”
The United Nations added that Joseph and Henry have made significant progress in the past week and support dialogue to find “minimal consensus” for fair legislation and presidential elections.
The Haitian writer, activist and former UN official Monique Kleska said that she does not expect any changes under Henry’s leadership and that she hopes to inherit Moise’s legacy. But she warned that Henry could be seen as tainted because he had received international support before he took power.
“There is not only a view, but also the reality that he was put there by the international community. I think this is his burden,” she said.
“We call on Haitians to really say this is unacceptable. We don’t want the international community to say who should be in power and what should be done. It’s up to us.”
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said on Monday that the Biden administration “welcomes reports that political actors in Haiti are working together to determine the country’s way forward.”
“For several days, we have been encouraging Haitian political actors to work together to find a political way forward,” she said.
Earlier, Ned Price, the spokesperson of the US State Department, said that the United States will continue to cooperate with Joseph after noticing Joseph’s position and acting as prime minister before the assassination.
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On Monday, Price urged all political actors in Haiti as well as civil society and the private sector to work together for the benefit of the people, adding that the United States stands with them.
“We have always said, and we still believe that the decision on who will lead Haiti belongs to the Haitian people,” he said. “The political deadlock has caused huge losses to the Haitian country. It is vital that the leaders of this country finally work together to formulate a united and inclusive path forward.”
The Core Group’s statement was issued a few hours after Moise’s wife Martine was discharged from a hospital in Miami on Saturday and arrived in Haiti in a black private jet wearing a bulletproof vest. Since the government is preparing for the funeral in the northern city of Cap-Haiti on July 23, she has not made a statement or made a public speech after returning to Haiti. This week, before the funeral in Port-au-Prince, other activities to commemorate Moise are also planned in the capital Port-au-Prince.
Moise appointed Henry as prime minister shortly before his death, but he has not yet been sworn in. This neurosurgeon served as Minister of Social Affairs and Minister of Interior. He has joined a number of political parties, including Inite founded by former President Rene Préval.
As the leadership is about to change, the authorities continue to investigate the July 7 attack on Moise’s private residence, which severely injured his wife with a high-powered rifle.
Authorities say that more than 20 suspects directly involved in the killing have been arrested. Most of them were former Colombian soldiers, and Colombian officials said most of them were deceived. Three other suspects were killed, and the police are still looking for more suspects, including a former Haitian rebel leader and a former Haitian senator.
© 2021 Canadian Press
