–makes room for establishment of transitional presidential council, as country inches closer to fresh elections, CARICOM Chairman says

HAITI’S incumbent Prime Minister, Ariel Henry has resigned, allowing for the establishment of a new transitional presidential council as the country inches closer to fresh elections.

At a late night press conference in Kingston, Jamaica, the Caribbean Community’s (CARICOM) Chairman and Guyana’s President Dr. Irfaan Ali said this arrangement will now pave the way for “a peaceful transition of power, continuity of governance, an action plan for near term security and the road to free and fair elections.”

The CARICOM Chair on Monday led meetings with several other regional leaders and international partners to address the increased wave of violence in Haiti.

“As a collective in CARICOM, over the last seven to eight days, since Guyana, we have spent more time on Haiti than we have spent on our own local issues,” President Ali said.

The CARICOM chair said that the creation of the transitional president council will now take effect, and will comprise of seven voting members and two non-voting observers.

The seven voting members will comprise one representative from several Haitian stakeholders including the private sector.

Meanwhile the non-voting members will be represented by one member from civil society and one member of the inter-faith community.

“This process requires patience …let us be patient, let us give a bit, let us sacrifice a bit and give this agreement a chance to work. This is just one step forward in many long steps ahead of us,” the CARICOM chair added.

According to international news reports, heavily armed gangs attempted to take over Haiti’s main international airport on Monday, exchanging gunfire with police and soldiers in the most recent attack on important government locations in a wave of violence that also included a mass escape from the nation’s two largest prisons.

They wanted to stop 74-year-old Henry from returning from his trip to Kenya, which he visited to sign an agreement on the deployment of a multinational police force to the Caribbean Island.