Haiti’s presidential council stepped down on Saturday after almost two years of tumultuous rule alongside a U.S.-backed prime minister , who is expected to remain in power as the country prepares for the first general elections in a decade.
Days before the nine-member council was dissolved, the U.S. deployed a warship and two U.S. Coast Guard boats to waters near Haiti’s capital, where gangs control 90% of Port-au-Prince.
In late January, two of the council’s most influential members announced that a majority had voted to oust Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé , defying calls from the U.S. government to uphold the country’s fragile political stability.
Days later, the U.S. government announced visa revocations for four unidentified council members and a Cabinet minister.
The council’s plan to oust Fils-Aimé for reasons not made public appeared to fall to the wayside as it stepped down in an official ceremony on Saturday.
“We need to put our personal interest to the side and continue progress for security,” said the council’s outgoing president, Laurent Saint-Cyr, who rejected a push to dismiss the prime minister.
Fils-Aimé spoke briefly, saying he would address the nation later in the day.
“The presidential council has done its work by paving the way for a governance mindful of security and electoral issues,” he said.
Da Rin said negotiations are ongoing to decide what, if anything, would replace the council as a new multinational security mission prepares to transform a U.N.-backed mission led by Kenyan police that was understaffed and underfunded .
“Clarity on who will govern Haiti is essential,” Da Rin wrote in a recent essay. “Countries contributing to this force will want to know they are working alongside a government whose legitimacy is undisputed.”
Feb. 7 is a historic date for Haiti that marks the start of democratic rule after a nearly 30-year dictatorship . It’s also when presidents are traditionally sworn in.
But Haiti failed to hold general elections on Saturday as envisioned a couple of years ago, with gang violence gripping much of the capital and swaths of land in the country’s central region . Tentative dates were announced for August and December, but many believe it’s unlikely an election and a runoff will be held this year.
The council also was rocked by accusations of corruption, with a government agency accusing three members of bribery in late 2024.
Posted by John3262005
3 Comments
With today marks the end of Haiti’s transitional governing council and no succession plan in place
Unsurprisingly, no elections have been planned as of yet
According to RFI.FR “Haiti’s transitional council disbands with nothing to replace it”
*A new electoral calendar was finally adopted in December 2025, setting general elections for 30 August 2026, with a second round scheduled for 6 December.*
*But between now and then, no one knows what form the next phase will take, how long it will last, or who will lead it.*
Apparently, the US sent a warship and some Coast Guard boats to support Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé.
A stable dictatorship may be better than what’s going on right now over there.
How can Haiti conduct a general election right now? If the majority of the country’s largest city isn’t even under the control of the government I don’t see how it’s possible.