The highly anticipated presidential transition council in Haiti, responsible for taking the reins of the country plunged into a deep political and security crisis, was sworn in Thursday, paving the way for the formation of an interim government.
In images, we can see the nine members of the body — eight men and one woman — at the presidential palace, greeted by a fanfare.
The head of a party represented within the body confirmed to AFP that they had taken the oath.
They must then attend an installation ceremony in the morning at the Welcome Villa, an official residence.
At the same time, the contested Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who announced in March that he would resign once the new authorities were installed, formalized the departure of his government in a letter.
“I thank the Haitian people for the opportunity to serve our country with integrity, wisdom and honor. Haiti will be reborn,” he wrote.
Pending the formation of a new government, Michel Patrick Boisvert was appointed interim prime minister, according to the outgoing cabinet.
Mr. Boisvert had already signed a number of official press releases in recent weeks, Ariel Henry having been unable to return to his country after a trip to Kenya and being in the United States.
The transition council must now work to form a new government and appoint a prime minister.
Complex negotiations
Haiti has suffered from chronic political instability for decades. But at the end of February, the gangs, whose violence was already ravaging entire sections of the territory, launched coordinated attacks against strategic sites, saying they wanted to overthrow Ariel Henry.
The latter, appointed a few days before the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse, was strongly contested.
On March 11, the same day that a meeting was held between Haitians and several organizations and countries such as the United States, he announced that he would resign to make way for a transitional presidential council.
It took several weeks of complex negotiations, marked by reversals, for the council to see the light of day. The cause is disagreements between political parties and other stakeholders but also with the outgoing government, not to mention doubts about the very legality of such a body.
The council is composed of seven voting members, representing the main political forces in Haiti and the private sector. Two observers without the right to vote also represent the voice of civil society, the other of the religious community.
Without a president or parliament, Haiti has not had an election since 2016.
The capital is 80% in the hands of criminal gangs, accused of numerous abuses, in particular murders, rapes, looting and kidnappings for ransom.