The Prime Minister of Haiti, Ariel Henry, whose term ended yesterday, according to a 2022 political agreement, continues to cling to power and promised this Thursday (8) to hold elections, but only when the security situation in the country allows it, according to him.
Meanwhile, massive and violent demonstrations against the government calling for its resignation left at least six people dead.
“As soon as the security problem begins to be resolved, we will launch the electoral process at all costs to hand over power to the leaders that the Haitian people must choose in good elections,” said Henry today in a speech to the nation.
At least six people died in Haiti on Wednesday (7) and more than ten were injured in violent demonstrations against the government, which brought together thousands of people to demand Henry's departure after 30 months in power without concrete results.
The term of Henry, the country's highest official following the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021, ended on Wednesday, according to an agreement signed in December 2022 with representatives of political parties, civil society organizations and members of the private sector, and under the auspices of the international community.
In his ten-minute speech, Ariel Henry made no mention of the agreement.
Instead, he declared that one transition cannot lead to another transition and that the Haitian people need peace, security, jobs, to be able to move freely around the country to go about their business and for their children to be able to go to school in peace.
“The main job of a transitional government is to create the conditions to organize elections, in order to give the Haitian people the legitimate right to freely choose the men and women to whom they wish to hand over leadership of the country at all levels,” he declared.
Henry also stated that his government is doing everything possible for the rapid arrival in the country of the multinational mission, approved by the UN Security Council and which will be led by Kenya.
“While this does not happen, the government is making great efforts to strengthen the intervention capacity of all legal security forces in the country”, highlighted Henry.
Haiti held the last presidential elections in 2016, when Moïse won, with the legislative elections also still pending, which keeps the National Congress paralyzed, despite several appeals from the international community to create a climate that allows the organization of these elections.
The country is experiencing a critical social, political and economic situation, worsened by extreme violence by armed gangs.
Armed groups control the capital, Port-au-Prince, and other parts of Haiti's territory and are responsible for hundreds of murders, rapes, kidnappings and other crimes.
Furthermore, in this country, the poorest in the Americas, almost 50% of the population suffers from food insecurity and half of the just over 11 million inhabitants live in poverty.
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