Haiti: the new government will have to "relieve misery"

Port-au-Prince – Haitian President Jovenel Moses announced, in an address to the Nation Saturday night, that his new government will be "inclusive" to "relieve misery", hours after the Prime Minister's resignation, following the deadly violence last weekend.
  

In his short speech in Creole broadcast on state television, Jovenel Moïse declared that he wanted " to gather all the forces of the nation, without wasting time, to form an inclusive government whose mission will be to relieve the misery of the people, develop agriculture, energy and infrastructure across the country ".

Haiti remains marked by the wave of sudden violence unleashed on July 6 by an attempt by the government to increase fuel prices.

A week after popular anger paralyzed the majority of the country's roads and cities, especially Port-au-Prince, Prime Minister Jack-Guy Lafontant finally announced his resignation on Saturday afternoon.

" Before coming here, I submitted my resignation to the President of the Republic. (…) The President of the Republic has accepted my resignation and, as I say to you, I am in the service of the Republic ", said Jack Guy Lafontant in front of the deputies.

Accompanied by all his ministers, the head of the government was in the Chamber of Deputies because parliamentarians demanding his departure from power had summoned him.

Friday he badured on Twitter that he would not resign but Jack Guy Lafontant finally announced his departure from power during the session, thus escaping a vote-sanctioning deputies.

– Resignation required in the street –

Several hundred demonstrators also marched Saturday in the streets of the capital Port-au-Prince to demand the departure of the Prime Minister but also President Jovenel Moise.

" It is not only a question of changing the Prime Minister because, day by day, the people suffer more from misery, unemployment, insecurity, hunger ", testified Fleurette Pierre. " Jovenel must also leave, but not in exile, no: he will go directly to prison for the money wasted ," said the protester, who lives in one of the poorest neighborhoods of the capital.

In his address to the Nation, the Haitian President said he understood " the situation of many of our compatriots that unemployment, hunger and misery are suffering ", while explaining that " violence does not work with development or democracy ".

Last Friday, the government announced a 38% increase in gas prices, 47% diesel and 51% kerosene, starting Saturday, July 7th at midnight.

The main cities and roads of Haiti were then bristling with barricades, which paralyzed all activity. The violence was the most intense in Port-au-Prince, prey to arson and looting during the weekend. At least four people were killed.

The government reversed its decision less than 24 hours after its announcement but, shocked by the lack of a political response to the violence, several sectors of Haitian society have, since Monday, demanded the resignation of Jack Guy Lafontant.

Doctor by profession, Jack Guy Lafontant, unknown to the Haitian political clbad until his appointment in February, is a friend of Jovenel Moïse, in power since February 7, 2017.

– What new Prime Minister? –

The Head of State must now choose a new Prime Minister, a political exercise always complex in Haiti: before a government begins to work, its general policy must be validated by both houses of Parliament.

Already on Saturday, some protesters have said they fear to see the political clbad forget the social demands, during their negotiations for the establishment of the future government.

" We need a team that brings together, with competent ministers, capable of addressing the problems we are undergoing: they must not take a job just because they are the friend of such deputy or such senator ", worried Panel Toussaint on the sidelines of the demonstration of this Saturday.

" If this is not happening, then the violence will resume: how can we have political stability while the people are hungry and insecure? We must change the whole system to have a reliable team that can lead the country safely ", said the 26-year-old, tired of living only odd jobs.