Caribbean L 12 ife, JULY 23-29, 2021
Ariel Henry, tapped by late Haitian President Jovenel Moise to be the new
prime minister just days before he was assassinated, arrives to the offi cial
memorial services for Moise, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti July 20, 2021. REUTERS/
Ricardo Arduengo
New Haiti leader with international
backing to take charge
By Danica Coto
Associated Press
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — A
new prime minister supported by key
international diplomats will take charge
of Haiti, an official said Monday — a
move that appeared aimed at averting a
leadership struggle following the assassination
of President Jovenal Moise.
Ariel Henry, who was designated
prime minister by Moise before he was
slain but never sworn in, will replace the
country’s interim prime minister, Haiti
Elections Minister Mathias Pierre told
The Associated Press.
It wasn’t immediately clear how
quickly Claude Joseph, who has been
leading Haiti with the backing of police
and the military since the July 7 assassination
of Moise, would step down.
“Negotiations are still in course,”
Pierre said, adding that Joseph would go
back to being minister of foreign affairs.
There was no immediate comment from
Joseph.
In an audio recording, Henry referred
to himself as prime minister and called
for unity, saying he would soon announce
the members of what he called a provisional
consensus government to lead
the country until elections are held.
“I present my compliments to the
Haitian people who have shown political
maturity in the face of what can be considered
a coup. … Our Haitian brothers
gave peace a chance, while leaving the
possibility that the truth could one day
be restored,“ Henry said.
“Now it is up to all the national leaders
to walk together in unity, towards
the same goal, to show that they are
responsible.”
The political turnover followed a
statement Saturday from a key group of
international diplomats that appeared
to snub Joseph as it called for the creation
of “a consensual and inclusive government.”
“To this end, it strongly encourages
the designated Prime Minister Ariel
Henry to continue the mission entrusted
to him to form such a government,”
the statement from the Core Group
said.
The Core Group is composed of
ambassadors from Germany, Brazil,
Canada, Spain, the U.S., France, the
European Union and representatives
from the United Nations and the Organization
of American States.
On Monday, the U.N. issued a statement
calling on Joseph, Henry and
other national stakeholders “to set aside
differences and engage in constructive
dialogue on ways to end the current
impasse.”
The U.N. added that Joseph and
Henry made significant progress in the
past week and that it supports dialogue
to find “minimal consensus” for holding
fair legislative and presidential elections.
Monique Clesca, a Haitian writer,
activist and former U.N. official, said she
doesn’t anticipate any changes under
Henry, whom she expects to carry on
Moise’s legacy. But she warned Henry
might be viewed as tainted because of
the international backing that preceded
his taking power.
“There is not only a perception, but
the reality that he has been put there
by the international community, and
I think that’s his burden to carry,” she
said.
“What we’re calling for is for Haitians
to really say this is unacceptable. We do
not want the international community
stating who ought to be in power and
what ought to be done. It is up to us.”
White House press secretary Jen Psaki
said Monday that the Biden administration
“welcomes reports that Haitian
political actors are working together to
determine a path forward in the country.”