On Wednesday, the Prime Minister of Haiti, Ariel Henry, a 74-year-old neurosurgeon resigned.
The resignation was met with both celebration and uncertainty as the future of Haiti’s leadership hangs in the balance. The next elections to find Henry’s replacement are going to be the first since 2016. A proposal on Wednesday to install a new form of leadership was rejected by some political parties. The rejected plan was set to create a presidential council to manage the leadership transition. In terms of managing the transition, the council would have been responsible for the selection of an interim prime minister. The council would also have the responsibility of creating a council of ministers. The council of ministers would be in charge of designing the long-term strategy of Haiti in terms of managing violence by gangs. The announcement of the rejection comes from a news conference. Ex-senator Jean Charles Moïse alongside Guy Philippe, a former rebel leader announced the rejection of the proposed council, also backed by the international community. Both argued that a three-person presidential council should be implemented in its place. This council would consist of himself, Philippe, and a Haitian judge. However, other high-ranking Haitian officials declined to participate in the originally proposed council. This plan was created late Monday as a result of an urgent meeting with Caribbean leaders and the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Henry announced his resignation upon the instillation of the council. However, Henry is currently in Puerto Rico, unable to gain access to Haiti as gang attacks have closed the country’s airports.
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