A transition council responsible for choosing Haiti's next leadership has been established after weeks of uncertainty, according to a decree published in Haiti's official newspaper.
The move comes a month after Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry announced he would step down.
The council, made up of seven voting members and two non-voting observers, is tasked with choosing and appointing a new prime minister, as well as an “impartial” electoral council, the decree says.
The group will exercise certain presidential powers until a new elected president is inaugurated, which is expected to occur by February 7, 2026.
The council's mandate will end on that date and cannot be extended, the decree says.
The board members are Fritz Alphonse Jean, Louis Gérald Gilles, Edgard Leblanc Fils, Emmanuel Vertilaire, Smith Augustin, Lesly Voltaire, Laurent Saint Cyr, Frinel Joseph and Régine Abraham, according to a press release.
The Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM) welcomed the news in a statement this Friday (12).
“The creation of the nine-member Council, broad and politically inclusive, signals the possibility of a new beginning for Haiti,” the note said.
According to CARICOM, one of the council's first priorities will be to urgently address the security situation in the region.
CARICOM, which worked with Haiti last month to develop a structure for the transition council, said there are still challenges ahead but that it will support Haiti as it determines its future.
Since February, attacks by a gang alliance in the capital Port-au-Prince have rendered the city's international airport and seaport nonfunctional, severing vital food supply lines.
Isolated from the world, more and more Haitians are going hungry, aid workers warn. According to the United Nations, nearly 5 million people in Haiti are suffering from acute food insecurity, in what World Food Program director Jean-Martin Bauer described as the worst humanitarian crisis to hit the Caribbean country since the earthquake in 2010.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
