Transitional Presidential Council head sworn into office

PORT-AU-PRINCE (CMC):

The new head of the Transitional Presidential Council (TPC), Leslie Voltaire, was sworn into office on Monday despite opposition from outgoing President Edgard Leblanc Fils, who refused to sign a decree ratifying the move.

“Under my presidency the Transitional Presidential Council will consolidate its gains and structures to work with more efficiency and transparency,” said Voltaire, an architect, who represents the party of former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

“Haitian people have enough of violence, of lies, and of corruption. We must forget our personal interests and prioritise those of the nation,” he added.

In his brief speech, Voltaire said that much work remains to be done in a country in the grip of rampant gang violence.

“We are not satisfied with the security situation. We are working to re-establish security throughout the whole country.”

Leblanc Fils had opposed the move to allow for the rotating presidency, citing unresolved corruption accusations against three other councillors who remain voting members and signed off on the transition.

“I cannot participate in any process that will further weaken and devalue the country’s justice system,” Leblanc Fils said in a video message late on Sunday, saying the decision of the council’s majority would aggravate the instability.

The January 30 Collective of political parties, which nominated Leblanc Fils to the council, called for the three members accused of bribery to be put aside, pending a judicial ruling.

Haiti’s anti-corruption unit had recommended legal action in a report earlier this month that said the three had accepted credit cards and asked for nearly US$770,000 from a state-run bank president.

The accused are diplomat Smith Augustin, politician Louis Gerald Gilles, and former Judge Emmanuel Vertilaire. All three have rejected the charges. Augustin was initially slated to succeed Leblanc Fils as the council’s president.

But the three would be kept on the council under the resolution.

In a brief statement last Friday, the council acknowledged the report accusing the three members of corruption and said it would immediately take all measures to guarantee the stability of the state. It also signed a resolution modifying the rotating presidency.

The dispute between Leblanc Fils and the rest of the TPC is creating new problems in the French-speaking Caribbean Community country still reeling from the gang massacre of at least 70 people last week, with Prime Minister Garry Conille seeking security assistance abroad.

“One of the aims of this trip is to go to Kenya to discuss with President Ruto how we can speed up the deployment of remnants of the Kenyan troops as quickly as possible to continue supporting the national police force,” Conille said.

Last week, the Unted Nations Security Council authorised for another year an international security force that is intended to help local police fight gangs and provide law and order.

Haiti named the TPC in April after intense negotiations between various sectors of the Caribbean nation’s political and civil alliances. It was empowered with choosing a prime minister and wielding certain presidential powers until conditions are considered secure enough for a new election.

During his address, Voltaire called for a minute of silence for the more than 70 people killed during last Thursday’s attack by gang members in Pont-Sondé, a small town in central Haiti.

The council was formed to replace the government of Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who was forced to step down amid a gang conflict that has killed thousands and forced over 700,000 people from their homes.

Haiti has been without an elected government after President Jovenelle Moise was assassinated at his private residence on July 7, 2021.