Garry Conille named Haiti’s transitional Prime Minister | BREAKING NEWS

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is a developing story. Stay tuned for updates.

By Arnold Junior Pierre, Juhakenson Blaise and Haitian Times Staff

PORT-AU-PRINCE— The Presidential Transition Council (PTC) has chosen Dr. Garry Conille as the new prime minister to lead Haiti’s transitional period, according to sources close to the provisional body posting on social and local media. Conille was among five major contenders for the position in a crowded field that drew nearly 200 applicants over the last two weeks.

Conille previously served as Haiti’s prime minister from October 2011 to February 2012 during the Joseph Michel Martelly presidency. He promises to bring a wealth of experience in national and international governance. He is an academic,  medical doctor, author and development worker.

He was chosen by the voting members of the 9-member TPC on May 28, with six members taking part in the vote. Laurent St-Cyr, representative of the private sector, was absent, according to Le Nouvelliste.

“The Transitional Presidential Council, by consensus, chose Garry Conille to lead the transitional government,” Fritz Alphonse Jean, a signatory of the Montana Accord, said on X, formerly Twitter.

Carole Berotte Joseph, a candidate who actively campaigned for the post, sounded a similar celebratory note.

“I congratulate the CPT on reaching consensus on this important decision and wish Dr. Conille the best as he embarks on this crucial chapter for Haiti,” she told The Haitian Times, using the French acronym for the transitional council.

Opaque selection process

The selection of the prime minister comes amid much enthusiasm and campaigning since the TPC mandated that all interested parties submit applications by May 17. Within three days of the call to submit applications for the key role in leading Haiti’s transition, more than 200 people had submitted candidacy documents.

By May 24, local media had reported that the list was narrowed to 15 candidates, many of whom began rallying friends and colleagues in Haiti and abroad to support them. 

By May 28, a TPC non-voting member published the list of five finalists during an interview on local radio station Magic 9. Even as late as 2 p.m., a candidate who spoke with The Haitian Times said they expected interviews to be wrapped up May 28 and an announcement on May 29 at the earliest.

The candidate further said even the applicants were not fully informed of the pace of the process. Some of them, the candidate said, had complained about the TPC not publishing its actions, as required, in Le Moniteur.

By 5 p.m., word had gotten out that Conille had been selected, though the TPC had not announced it.

Following is a list of the 15 most active candidates that was narrowed down to five, before Conille emerged as the top name.

Finalists for transitional Prime Minister role

The five finalists, in alphabetical order, were as follows.

Fritz Bélizaire 

Fritz Bélizaire, a civil engineer, served as Minister of Youth and Sports from 2006 to 2011 under President René Préval. Before this, he coordinated the West Department government offices from 2002 to 2006. Earlier in his career, he worked at the Ministry of Public Works, Transportation, and Communications.

Up until the beginning of May, before Conille emerged as a candidate, Bélizaire was leading the selection process. Four out of the seven voting members had concurrently proposed him as Prime Minister alongside the nomination of Edgar Gardy Leblanc Fils as the President of the TPC.

Paul Antoine Bien-Aimé

Bien-Aimé served as the Minister of the Interior and Territorial Communities under former President Michel Martelly from 2011 to 2016 and previously held the same position from 2006 to 2011 under former President René Préval. Additionally, he served as Minister of National Education and Vocational Training in the Government of Jacques Edouard Alexis in the late 1990s. Throughout his career, Bien-Aimé has been involved in various roles within public administration.

Garry Conille 

Garry Conille is a former Prime Minister who served under President Michel Joseph Martelly from October 2011 to May 2012. He began his career in 1994 with the National Development Association in Haiti. In 1999, he worked as a public health specialist at the Albert Schweitzer Hospital in Deschapelles, in the Artibonite Department. Conille also held various significant roles at the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), including Deputy Representative in Haiti.

Alix Didier Fils-Aimé 

Jean Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, a business owner, presides over the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Haiti for the West. His designation by the Haitian-American Chamber of Commerce as the private sector candidate. He unsuccessfully ran for a Senate position in 2015. 

Jean Rodolphe Joazil

Jean Rodolphe Joazil served as a senator in 2000, 2006, and 2009 for the North-East Department. He was the Senate president. He assumed the position of Minister of Interior and Defense in 2012 where he reorganized the ministry and relaunched the Haitian Armed Forces, FAD’H after a 17-year suspension.  A former captain of the FAD’H, he received military training in the United States Army from 1984 to 1985. 

Ten additional candidates who actively campaigned

Jean-Hector Anacacis 

Jean Hector Anacacis was a former West Department Senator, elected in the 2006 election for six years. He chaired the Transport and Communication Commission and completed his term as Vice-President of the Senate. He studied Diplomacy at the National School of Administration, ENA, Paris and Accounting Sciences at Haïti State Administration School INAGHEI. He is currently the President of ‘Ligue Alternative pour le Progrès et l’Émancipation Haïtienne, LAPEH. 

Pierre Michel Brunache

Pierre Michel Brunache was a former Minister of Justice and Public Security under former president Michel Martelly between December 2011 to May 2012. He was previously a Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.  He also served as Chief of Staff to the late President Boniface Alexandre (2004-2006).

Marie Denise Claude 

Marie Denise Claude was the former Minister of Women’s Affairs and Rights in 2016. She is currently the Secretary General of the political party INITE and the National Coordinator of Pluri Femme. She previously ran for a Senate position but was unsuccessful.

Lucmane Delile

Lucmane Delile assumed the position of Minister of Justice and Public Security (MJSP) under the presidency of Jovenel Moïse in 2020. He served previously as Port-au-Prince prosecutor during President Michel Joseph Martelly’s tenure from October 2012 to August 2013. He was the director of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor (MAST). He spanned a diverse career in public service. 

Gérald Germain

Gérald Germain is an economist who played the role of Minister of Commerce and Industry under President René Garcia Préval from March 1999 to March 2001. Beyond his ministerial tenure, Germain was a monetary policy advisor to the Governor of the Bank of the Republic of Haiti. He was an economics professor at the State University of Haiti. His career encompasses diverse roles such as senior expert at the United Nations Development Programme, UNDP.

Jean Vilmond Hilaire 

Jean Vilmond Hilaire is a former Minister of the Environment and entrepreneur. He was a professor at Haiti State University, UEH in its French acronym and at Université Quisqueya UNIQ. An environmental advocate, he initiated the Caribbean Biological Corridor and contributed to the ban on styrofoam in Haiti. He currently serves as the Deputy Coordinator of the Haitian National Civil Society Council (CNSA).

Carole Berotte Joseph, Ph.D.  

Dr. Carole Berotte Joseph holds a Ph.D in Bilingual and Sociolinguistic Education from New York University. She is a United States-based retired college president and educator with over 45 years of experience in the American educational system. She has led institutions such as the Bronx Community College and the Massachusetts Bay Community College. 

Fenol Metéllus, Ph.D. 

Professor Fénol MÉTELLUS, who holds a Ph.D. in Economics (UCM, 2005), is an expert in higher education, university management, and public administration in Haiti. He coordinated the Law and Economics Schools at Haïti State University, UEH. A founder of the Public University of the North in Cap-Haitien (UPNCH).

Daniel Supplice 

Daniel Suplice is a sociologist and writer. He has held various diplomatic positions, including Haïti’s Consul General in Japan, First Secretary of the Haitian embassies in Italy and Mexico, Director General of Immigration, Ambassador to Belgium and the Dominican Republic, as well as Minister of Haitians Living Abroad.

Wilner Valcin 

Wilner Valcin, former Director General of the Ministry of Planning and External Cooperation, had been indicted for assassination and acts of corruption against the Haitian state. Investigating judge Jean Wilner Morin of the Court of First Instance of Port-au-Prince issued a travel ban against him in December 2017. 

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Stay tuned to The Haitian Times as this story develops.

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Garry Conille named Haiti’s transitional Prime Minister | BREAKING NEWS was first posted on May 28, 2024 at 6:50 pm.