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| Haiti, Urged by Foreign Powers, Announces New Government | Haiti, Urged by Foreign Powers, Announces New Government |
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| PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — With foreign powers weighing in, Haitian officials announced a new prime minister on Monday, in an attempt to resolve a caustic leadership struggle in the wake of President Jovenel Moïse’s assassination. | PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — With foreign powers weighing in, Haitian officials announced a new prime minister on Monday, in an attempt to resolve a caustic leadership struggle in the wake of President Jovenel Moïse’s assassination. |
| Claude Joseph, the prime minister who took control of Haiti’s government immediately after the killing, is stepping down in favor of Ariel Henry, a neurosurgeon who had been appointed to the position by the president before he was killed, the elections minister said Monday. | Claude Joseph, the prime minister who took control of Haiti’s government immediately after the killing, is stepping down in favor of Ariel Henry, a neurosurgeon who had been appointed to the position by the president before he was killed, the elections minister said Monday. |
| Ever since the assassination on July 7, Haitian politicians have been at loggerheads, grappling for control of the government. And the scramble for power is being heavily influenced — even directed, some Haitian contend — by foreign countries, including the United States, which has long held enormous sway in the country. | |
| “Haiti has become a baseball being thrown between foreign diplomats,” said Joseph Lambert, the president of Haiti’s Senate, adding that pressure from American diplomats was a major factor in the reshuffling of Haiti’s leadership. | “Haiti has become a baseball being thrown between foreign diplomats,” said Joseph Lambert, the president of Haiti’s Senate, adding that pressure from American diplomats was a major factor in the reshuffling of Haiti’s leadership. |
| As Senate president, Mr. Lambert said he had sought to lead the nation after the president’s death. But, he said, the United States urged him to stand down. | As Senate president, Mr. Lambert said he had sought to lead the nation after the president’s death. But, he said, the United States urged him to stand down. |
| “I received calls from certain American diplomats in Haiti,” he added. “Also I received calls from diplomats in the U.S. State Department, who asked me to postpone so we had time to build a larger consensus.” | “I received calls from certain American diplomats in Haiti,” he added. “Also I received calls from diplomats in the U.S. State Department, who asked me to postpone so we had time to build a larger consensus.” |
| The switch in government announced on Monday follows a period of intense uncertainty in the wake of the president’s assassination. But the political maneuvering by Haitian officials and international power brokers was met with anger by Haitian activists and democracy advocates, who said it did not consider what the people wanted. | The switch in government announced on Monday follows a period of intense uncertainty in the wake of the president’s assassination. But the political maneuvering by Haitian officials and international power brokers was met with anger by Haitian activists and democracy advocates, who said it did not consider what the people wanted. |
| “It’s as if they have replaced the Haitian people. It’s revolting,” Chavannes Jean-Baptiste, the leader of Seeing Eye To Eye, a civil society group that represents more than one million Haitians in the countryside, said of the foreign powers. “We need the accompaniment of a lot of countries but we can’t accept they make decisions in our place.” | “It’s as if they have replaced the Haitian people. It’s revolting,” Chavannes Jean-Baptiste, the leader of Seeing Eye To Eye, a civil society group that represents more than one million Haitians in the countryside, said of the foreign powers. “We need the accompaniment of a lot of countries but we can’t accept they make decisions in our place.” |
| Mr. Joseph, the nation’s interim prime minister, had been scheduled to be replaced the week of the killing, but the newly appointed prime minister, Mr. Henry, had yet to be sworn in. Both declared themselves to be the legitimate prime ministers, creating a power vacuum that threatened to further destabilize a country that had already been gripped by months of street protests over Mr. Moïse’s rule. | Mr. Joseph, the nation’s interim prime minister, had been scheduled to be replaced the week of the killing, but the newly appointed prime minister, Mr. Henry, had yet to be sworn in. Both declared themselves to be the legitimate prime ministers, creating a power vacuum that threatened to further destabilize a country that had already been gripped by months of street protests over Mr. Moïse’s rule. |
| At least one senator had called Mr. Joseph’s move to run the country and impose a state of siege after the assassination a form of a coup. | At least one senator had called Mr. Joseph’s move to run the country and impose a state of siege after the assassination a form of a coup. |
| But on Monday, the minister for elections, Mathias Pierre, said in a text message that Mr. Joseph would step down in “favor of Ariel Henry,” the neurosurgeon and politician. | But on Monday, the minister for elections, Mathias Pierre, said in a text message that Mr. Joseph would step down in “favor of Ariel Henry,” the neurosurgeon and politician. |
| On Sunday night, Dr. Henry released a prerecorded speech addressing the Haitian people on social media channels. | On Sunday night, Dr. Henry released a prerecorded speech addressing the Haitian people on social media channels. |
| He saluted the maturity of the Haitian people in the face of “what could be called a coup d’état,” and he asked the nation’s political actors to walk along the peaceful path that Haiti’s people have followed. | He saluted the maturity of the Haitian people in the face of “what could be called a coup d’état,” and he asked the nation’s political actors to walk along the peaceful path that Haiti’s people have followed. |
| He said he would announce shortly who would be part of his cabinet while gathering a “sufficient consensus” to lead an interim government until conditions were met for elections, stopping short of calling it a transition. | He said he would announce shortly who would be part of his cabinet while gathering a “sufficient consensus” to lead an interim government until conditions were met for elections, stopping short of calling it a transition. |
| “I appeal to the altruism of the Haitian patriots to surpass themselves in order to face together the dangers which threaten us all and jeopardize the very existence of the nation,” he said. | “I appeal to the altruism of the Haitian patriots to surpass themselves in order to face together the dangers which threaten us all and jeopardize the very existence of the nation,” he said. |
| The political standoff in the wake of the assassination was made all the more complicated by the fact that many of the nation’s democratic institutions had been hollowed out during Mr. Moïse’s time in office. | The political standoff in the wake of the assassination was made all the more complicated by the fact that many of the nation’s democratic institutions had been hollowed out during Mr. Moïse’s time in office. |
| Only 10 sitting senators remained out of 30 because the terms of the other 20 had expired and elections were not held to replace them. The lower house is entirely vacant — its members’ terms expired last year — leaving Mr. Moïse to govern by decree for more than a year before he was killed. | Only 10 sitting senators remained out of 30 because the terms of the other 20 had expired and elections were not held to replace them. The lower house is entirely vacant — its members’ terms expired last year — leaving Mr. Moïse to govern by decree for more than a year before he was killed. |
| Beyond that, the head of Haiti’s highest court died of Covid-19 in June, depriving the country of yet another means of deciding who should govern next. | Beyond that, the head of Haiti’s highest court died of Covid-19 in June, depriving the country of yet another means of deciding who should govern next. |
| In the middle of the dispute, the remaining members of the nation’s Senate also weighed in, saying the Senate president, Mr. Lambert, should lead Haiti, adding more confusion to the caustic dispute over who should govern. | In the middle of the dispute, the remaining members of the nation’s Senate also weighed in, saying the Senate president, Mr. Lambert, should lead Haiti, adding more confusion to the caustic dispute over who should govern. |
| The so-called Core Group of powerful foreign governments and international organizations that exercise great influence in Haiti — including the United Nations, the Organization of American States, the European Union, the United States, France, Spain, Canada, Germany and Brazil — called on Saturday for the formation of a “consensual and inclusive” government. | The so-called Core Group of powerful foreign governments and international organizations that exercise great influence in Haiti — including the United Nations, the Organization of American States, the European Union, the United States, France, Spain, Canada, Germany and Brazil — called on Saturday for the formation of a “consensual and inclusive” government. |
| To this end, the group “strongly encourages the prime minister designate Ariel Henry to continue the mission entrusted to him to form such a government.” | To this end, the group “strongly encourages the prime minister designate Ariel Henry to continue the mission entrusted to him to form such a government.” |
| Shortly after the assassination, the United States said that it recognized Mr. Joseph as the incumbent and would work with him as such. It was not immediately clear what had caused international actors to switch and throw their weight behind Mr. Henry. | Shortly after the assassination, the United States said that it recognized Mr. Joseph as the incumbent and would work with him as such. It was not immediately clear what had caused international actors to switch and throw their weight behind Mr. Henry. |
| One diplomat said that Mr. Henry was considered a less polarizing choice because he was perceived as less entrenched in Mr. Moïse’s contentious administration. The goal was also to get the two men claiming to be prime minister to work together, the diplomat said, and now Mr. Joseph is expected to become the foreign minister in Mr. Henry’s cabinet, according to the elections minister, Mr. Pierre. | |
| The nearly two weeks since Mr. Moïse’s assassination have been tense ones in Haiti. | |
| Before the killing, the country had been seeing a surge in street violence and kidnappings as armed groups, which had become more powerful in recent years, clashed and competed for control. But since Mr. Moïse’s death, the capital, Port-au-Prince, has felt emptied out, its normally gridlocked streets without most cars except around gas stations, which often have no gas to offer because gang warfare across one of the country’s main highways has hampered delivery. | |
| It’s as if the entire city were holding its breath, waiting to see what will happen. | |
| The news of the change in government, and of the influence of foreign powers on the decision, however, was not welcomed as a solution by many Haitians. | |
| “The virus of this country is Haitian politicians,” said Israel Joseph, perched on ledge in Pétionville, a suburb of Port-au-Prince, playing ludo, a strategy game, with his friend Nicson Cajou and discussing Haiti’s future between roles of the dice and drags on their cigarettes. | |
| “They look out only for their own interests,” added Mr. Joseph, a 44-year-old security guard. | |
| Mr. Cajou politely disagreed. “It’s the international groups that are responsible too for destabilizing the country,” he said. “They decide our destiny of us — they chose our government, chose what we eat, what we can do and can’t do.” | |
| “While they keep us in poverty,” he added, “they get richer.” | |
| Mr. Lambert, one of the 10 remaining elected officials in the country, has been among those aiming to fill the void left by Mr. Moïse’s killing. After eight of his fellow senators and several political parties declared that he should become provisional president, he announced a week ago that he was going to be sworn in by the Parliament. | Mr. Lambert, one of the 10 remaining elected officials in the country, has been among those aiming to fill the void left by Mr. Moïse’s killing. After eight of his fellow senators and several political parties declared that he should become provisional president, he announced a week ago that he was going to be sworn in by the Parliament. |
| Then, he promptly postponed. | Then, he promptly postponed. |
| While he had explained in a tweet that the decision had been to allow all senators to be present for the nomination, on Sunday he said the real reason was pressure from American diplomats. | While he had explained in a tweet that the decision had been to allow all senators to be present for the nomination, on Sunday he said the real reason was pressure from American diplomats. |
| Rather than a consensus, he said, the Core Group of international actors had imposed a “unilateral proposal.” | Rather than a consensus, he said, the Core Group of international actors had imposed a “unilateral proposal.” |
| “They always say the solution has to be Haitian, but this is not a Haitian solution,” said Mr. Lambert, a powerful politician first elected in 1990, who grew up desperately poor in Haiti’s south, one of 11 children of an illiterate fisherman and street vendor mother. | “They always say the solution has to be Haitian, but this is not a Haitian solution,” said Mr. Lambert, a powerful politician first elected in 1990, who grew up desperately poor in Haiti’s south, one of 11 children of an illiterate fisherman and street vendor mother. |
| The risk of allowing decisions to be guided by foreign powers, he said, was further unrest. | The risk of allowing decisions to be guided by foreign powers, he said, was further unrest. |
| “Ninety-five to ninety-seven percent of political parties will not accept this. And if they don’t accept this unilateral proposal, it’s certain there won’t be an election,” he said. “Even if there are elections, the results will be refuted, and Haiti will continue on this spiral of instability.” | “Ninety-five to ninety-seven percent of political parties will not accept this. And if they don’t accept this unilateral proposal, it’s certain there won’t be an election,” he said. “Even if there are elections, the results will be refuted, and Haiti will continue on this spiral of instability.” |
| The Core Group’s role in the reshuffling of Haiti’s government came as slap in the face to the Commission, a gathering of civil society groups and political parties with more than 150 members, who held marathon meetings over the weekend to publicly work out what kind of transitional government they’d want to see. | The Core Group’s role in the reshuffling of Haiti’s government came as slap in the face to the Commission, a gathering of civil society groups and political parties with more than 150 members, who held marathon meetings over the weekend to publicly work out what kind of transitional government they’d want to see. |
| The scene was one of participatory democracy, with groups debating and voting by show of hands on propositions including how long the transitional government should last, and what form it should take. | The scene was one of participatory democracy, with groups debating and voting by show of hands on propositions including how long the transitional government should last, and what form it should take. |
| Mr. Jean-Baptiste, one of the participants, said that Mr. Joseph’s resignation on Monday made little difference to him, pointing out that Mr. Joseph and Mr. Henry, like Mr. Moïse, came from the same political party, the ruling Bald Head party, or P.H.T.K. | Mr. Jean-Baptiste, one of the participants, said that Mr. Joseph’s resignation on Monday made little difference to him, pointing out that Mr. Joseph and Mr. Henry, like Mr. Moïse, came from the same political party, the ruling Bald Head party, or P.H.T.K. |
| “If this government is led by Ariel Henry, or Claude Joseph, it’s the same thing,” Mr. Jean-Baptiste said on Monday. “Now, P.H.T.K. could be part of a national compromise, but we can’t accept that P.H.T.K. will continue to lead the country with the gangs, with the massacres, with the looting of state coffers. It’s not possible. We want to finish with the regime of Jovenel Moïse.” | “If this government is led by Ariel Henry, or Claude Joseph, it’s the same thing,” Mr. Jean-Baptiste said on Monday. “Now, P.H.T.K. could be part of a national compromise, but we can’t accept that P.H.T.K. will continue to lead the country with the gangs, with the massacres, with the looting of state coffers. It’s not possible. We want to finish with the regime of Jovenel Moïse.” |