Edgard Leblanc Fils chosen as president of the transitional council in Haiti

Photo: Odelyn Joseph Associated Press Edgard Leblanc Fils affirmed that the council would work hard to make decisions that would allow the organization of “transparent, credible, uncontested elections”.

Jean Daniel Senat – Agence France-Presse and Inès Bel Aiba – Agence France-Presse in Port-au-Prince and Washington

Posted at 7:07 p.m.

• Americas

The brand new transitional council in Haiti chose a president on Tuesday in the person of politician Edgard Leblanc Fils, who promised to seek “consensus” so that the body could emerge the country of its deep security crisis.

The announcement was made, to applause, during an official ceremony broadcast live on Haitian television.

Mr. Leblanc Fils, a former president of the Senate, will have a coordinating role within the body set up after the resignation of the contested prime minister. Its nine members were invested last week with the heavy task of trying to restore public order in a country ravaged by gangs.

In his speech, the new head of the transitional authorities assured of the “will and determination” of the new leaders “to go beyond the chapels, to overcome the conflicts” and to seek “consensus” as much as possible.

Firstly to make decisions “in matters of security, [to] free the country from the action of people who cause suffering” to the population, declared Mr. Leblanc Fils, referring to armed gangs .

A majority of the members of the body also proposed the name of Fritz Bélizaire, a former Minister of Youth and Sports, to become first minister, Frinel Joseph, one of the two non-voting members of the council, declared to the audience.

Mr. Joseph said “much more explanation” would be provided later.

The new president of the council was selected following an agreement between the seven members with voting rights within the body, and not an internal election as planned.

“This morning we placed the ballot boxes, the voting booth for nothing,” apologized Frinel Joseph.

“But above all what is important is that the majority was clearly cleared […]. It can happen that there is a change of plan, but it is above all important […] that the change of plan gives the same result. »

“Transparent” elections

“And the result is that , ladies and gentlemen, today, Tuesday, April 30, we have a well-known president within the presidential council, who will coordinate the council according to the agreement that was reached between the different entities,” he continued .

Edgard Leblanc Fils affirmed that the council would work hard to make decisions that would allow the organization of “transparent, credible, uncontested elections”.

Under the terms of the agreement which allowed its creation, the mandate of the body must end, at the latest, on February 7, 2026. Its members must “rapidly” appoint a prime minister as well as an “inclusive” government.< /p>

It took several weeks of complex negotiations, marked by reversals, for the council to see the light of day. The cause is disagreements between political parties and other stakeholders, but also with the outgoing government.

Haiti has suffered from chronic political instability for decades. But at the end of February, the gangs, whose violence was already ravaging entire sections of the territory, launched coordinated attacks against strategic sites, saying they wanted to overthrow former Prime Minister Ariel Henry.

The latter, appointed a few days before the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse, was strongly contested.

March 11, the same day when held a meeting between Haitians and several organizations and countries such as the United States, he announced that he was going to resign to make way for a transition council.