Haiti’s reshuffled cabinet sworn in with urgent call to deliver results

PORT-AU-PRINCE —Transitional Presidential Council (CPT) Chairman Leslie Voltaire and Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé inaugurated Haiti’s reshuffled government on Saturday at Villa d’Accueil in Musseau. The new cabinet comprises 18 ministers, including four women, signaling a new chapter in the transition after the firing of Garry Conille as the country grapples with mounting insecurity and political instability.

“This government takes office with a sense of urgency and seriousness,” Fils-Aimé said in his speech. “Our priorities include security, humanitarian response, economic recovery, and organizing elections.”

The Haitian PM emphasized the need for swift action, noting that delays would deepen Haitians’ despair. Fils-Aimé urged his team to quickly get to work immediately to address the Haitian people’s challenges. 

“There is no time to waste,” he said. “Every hour lost is a blow to the hope of the Haitian people.”

Hundreds of people flocked to Villa d’Accueil to attend the weekend ceremony. Among others were diplomatic officials, members of the outgoing administration, representatives of political parties, civil society, and international organizations, and senior officials of the Armed Forces of Haiti (FAd’H) and the Haitian National Police (PNH).

Describing the current situation, Fils-Aimé highlighted the fear and extreme poverty that Haitians face, asserting that the nation deserves a government that listens, acts and inspires trust. 

“The challenges are immense, but our determination must be even greater. Those not ready to fight the security battle, which is the demand of the entire Haitian people, must step aside right now,”  the head of the transition government bluntly told the cabinet members.

Leslie Voltaire echoes calls for urgency and concrete action

Similarly to Fils-Aimé, Leslie Voltaire, who recently replaced Edgar Leblanc Fils as chairman of the CPT, called on the new government to act swiftly and boldly to save the transition. He urged the ministers to make all necessary changes, particularly regarding the rampant insecurity fueled by a resurgence of increased gang violence in recent days.

 “The suffering of the citizens can no longer wait,” Voltaire said. All the ministers sworn in today know that they are engaged in a fight to save the nation and protect the Haitian people. It is a great responsibility.”

Voltaire also urged the population, who are fleeing the terror of gangs and witnessing their loved ones being killed and their homes burned, to remain calm because the CPT and the Fils-Aimé’s government committed to working together and responding quickly to the nation’s cry for help.

Calls to prioritize the people’s interest through security restoration

Within Haitian society, reactions are numerous following the arrival of this new government, particularly from the Federation of Women’s Organizations for Human Rights Equality (FEDOFEDH). While the organization congratulates the choice of a woman from the women’s sector to head the Ministry for Women’s Condition and Rights (MCFDF), it criticizes, however, the fact that the government currently consists of only 22.22% women, which is well below the minimum 30% quota.

“This government takes office with a sense of urgency and seriousness. Security, humanitarian response, economic recovery, and organizing elections are among the priority tasks of my government.”

Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, Prime Minister of Haiti

“To reach this goal, at least two more women should have been included in the composition of this government,” says Novia Augustin, President of FEDOFEDH. “We hope that future appointments within public institutions will fully respect this quota and ensure fair representation of women at all levels of governance.”

Other figures, such as criminologist Luckner Edouard, urge the government to act urgently and immediately implement new measures to protect citizens’ lives and allow the population to go about their activities freely.

The president of the Haitian Society of Criminology and Penal Studies (SOHACEP), Edouard, who has often witnessed internal struggles between the two branches of the executive power, asks the new head of government to work in perfect collaboration with the Presidential Transition Council (CPT) by adopting appropriate measures to ensure the restoration of a secure climate conducive to the resumption of business activities and the holding of credible elections.

Meanwhile, some reactions are more critical of how the new government was formed. Former senator Cholzer Chancy, president of the Alliance for an Inclusive Society (ASE), stated in a statement that the government was formed without consensus. He calls for a redefinition of the Transition to prioritize national interests over personal egos.

“The focus must be on the people’s interests, tackling insecurity, and creating conditions for free elections, which are crucial for the nation’s future,” says Chancy. “Stakeholders must unite through honest dialogue to end this prolonged crisis!”

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Haiti’s reshuffled cabinet sworn in with urgent call to deliver results was first posted on November 18, 2024 at 12:33 pm.