#Haiti opposition names interim leader as political crisis deepens
Issued on: 09/02/2021 -
A man holds a photograph of Supreme Court Judge Joseph Mecene Jean-Louis during protests against Haiti's President Jovenel Moise, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti February 8, 2021.
© REUTERS/Jeanty Junior Augustin
Text by: NEWS WIRES
The Haitian opposition on Monday escalated a constitutional crisis by naming a magistrate as an interim leader for the troubled Caribbean country amid a dispute over when the term of President Jove Moisten ends
Political tension was exacerbated on Sunday when Moisten alleged there had been an attempt to overthrow the government and 23 people were arrested, including a Supreme Court judge and a senior police official.
The opposition dismissed the suggestion of a coup attempt, and said Moise should have stepped down on Feb. 7 when it says his five-year term ended.
The president has vowed to stay in power until February 2022, pointing out that an interim administration had governed for a year after he was elected in a disputed poll that was canceled by the electoral council.
Moise took power in 2017 after fresh elections.
Magistrate Joseph Mecene Jean Louis, 72, said in a video message that he had been chosen by the opposition to replace Moise, who the opposition accuses of being authoritarian and presiding over a crippling economic crisis.
"I declare to accept the choice of the opposition and the civil society to be able to serve my country as the provisional president," Jean Louis said.
Moise, who has ruled by decree since January last year, has stated he would hand over power to the winner of the September presidential election but would not step down until his term expires in 2022.
The United States, which is the biggest donor to Haiti, appears to have backed Moise's timeline, saying the new president should take office in February next year.
On Monday, Moise held a cabinet meeting and said on Twitter the government is "taking all measures to ensure the safety of the population".
Haiti's executive branch, consisting of the president, prime minister and ministers, published a decree announcing three Supreme Court judges who were approached by the opposition to replace Moise as president are to be retired.
Haiti's military on Monday said it was concerned about political events but appeared to back Moise, saying it would defend the rule of law and "legitimate authorities democratically elected by the population".
Earlier in the day, two journalists covering a small protest were shot in the capital and one of them is in a serious condition, according to news outlets and videos uploaded on social media.
Andre Michel, an opposition figure, told Reuters that the opposition would keep up its protests against the government this week.
"The mobilization must continue to force Jovenel Moise to leave office," Michel said. "We hope that the international community will support our approach."
(REUTERS)
#Haiti opposition names interim leader as presidency fight rages
Issued on: 08/02/2021
Issued on: 08/02/2021
Haiti's political crisis intensified on Sunday, as the opposition claimed
President Jovenel Moise's term had expired Valerie Baeriswyl AFP
Port-au-Prince (AFP)
The struggle over Haiti's presidency intensified Monday as opposition politicians named their own leader of the country in an effort to drive out President Jovenel Moise, whose term they say has expired.
The smouldering political crisis flared up Sunday, when officials claimed they had foiled an attempt to murder the president and overthrow the government.
Moise has been governing without any checks on his power for the past year and says he is president until February 7, 2022 -- an interpretation of the constitution rejected by the opposition, which led to protests asserting his term ended on Sunday.
Some small demonstrations took place over the weekend, which included clashes with police, but residents of the capital Port-au-Prince largely stayed at home in a nation gripped by political uncertainty and a resurgence of kidnappings for ransom.
In a video statement sent to AFP, judge Joseph Mecene Jean-Louis, 72, said he "accepted the choice of the opposition and civil society, to serve (his) country as interim president for the transition."
But the United States has accepted Moise's claim to power and he appears to have retained leadership of the Caribbean island nation, which has a long history of instability and deep poverty worsened by natural disasters.
- Disputed elections -
Former senator Youri Latortue said that the transition period was expected to last around 24 months.
"There's a two-year roadmap laid out, with the establishing of a national conference, the setting out of a new constitution and the holding of elections," he said.
The opposition has also attacked the claim Moise was targeted by a coup attempt, saying he was no longer legally the president.
"We are waiting for Jovenel Moise to leave the National Palace (the president's official office) so that we can get on with installing Mr Mecene Jean-Louis," opposition figure Andre Michel told AFP.
The dispute over when the president's term ends stems from Moise's original election: he was voted into office in a poll subsequently canceled after allegations of fraud, and then elected again a year later, in 2016.
After that poll was also disputed, demonstrations demanding his resignation intensified in the summer of 2018.
Voting to elect deputies, senators, mayors and local officials should have been held in 2018, but the elections have been delayed, triggering the vacuum in which Moise says he is entitled to stay for another year.
At present Haiti lacks institutions that could break the stalemate over the presidency. The Constitutional Council, which should have decided on the length of the presidential term, only exists on paper.
Nor can the Senate establish itself as a high court as the law allows, because only a third of senators remain in office due to the lack of elections under the Moise administration.
In the last presidential elections, barely more than 20 percent of voters took part in the ballot that brough Moise to power.
© 2021 AFP
Port-au-Prince (AFP)
The struggle over Haiti's presidency intensified Monday as opposition politicians named their own leader of the country in an effort to drive out President Jovenel Moise, whose term they say has expired.
The smouldering political crisis flared up Sunday, when officials claimed they had foiled an attempt to murder the president and overthrow the government.
Moise has been governing without any checks on his power for the past year and says he is president until February 7, 2022 -- an interpretation of the constitution rejected by the opposition, which led to protests asserting his term ended on Sunday.
Some small demonstrations took place over the weekend, which included clashes with police, but residents of the capital Port-au-Prince largely stayed at home in a nation gripped by political uncertainty and a resurgence of kidnappings for ransom.
In a video statement sent to AFP, judge Joseph Mecene Jean-Louis, 72, said he "accepted the choice of the opposition and civil society, to serve (his) country as interim president for the transition."
But the United States has accepted Moise's claim to power and he appears to have retained leadership of the Caribbean island nation, which has a long history of instability and deep poverty worsened by natural disasters.
- Disputed elections -
Former senator Youri Latortue said that the transition period was expected to last around 24 months.
"There's a two-year roadmap laid out, with the establishing of a national conference, the setting out of a new constitution and the holding of elections," he said.
The opposition has also attacked the claim Moise was targeted by a coup attempt, saying he was no longer legally the president.
"We are waiting for Jovenel Moise to leave the National Palace (the president's official office) so that we can get on with installing Mr Mecene Jean-Louis," opposition figure Andre Michel told AFP.
The dispute over when the president's term ends stems from Moise's original election: he was voted into office in a poll subsequently canceled after allegations of fraud, and then elected again a year later, in 2016.
After that poll was also disputed, demonstrations demanding his resignation intensified in the summer of 2018.
Voting to elect deputies, senators, mayors and local officials should have been held in 2018, but the elections have been delayed, triggering the vacuum in which Moise says he is entitled to stay for another year.
At present Haiti lacks institutions that could break the stalemate over the presidency. The Constitutional Council, which should have decided on the length of the presidential term, only exists on paper.
Nor can the Senate establish itself as a high court as the law allows, because only a third of senators remain in office due to the lack of elections under the Moise administration.
In the last presidential elections, barely more than 20 percent of voters took part in the ballot that brough Moise to power.
© 2021 AFP
Haiti 'on the verge of exploding' after allegation of failed coup
IN THE PRESS – February 8, 2021: We look at press coverage of the largest protests to hit Myanmar in over a decade. We also take a look at the increasingly fragile situation in Haiti following a failed coup attempt against President Jovenel Moise. Finally, we take a look at what critics have described as an assault on one of the most sacred traditions here in France: eating at the table.
Haitian opposition names judge as transitional president
Haitian opposition parties named a top judge as interim leader overnight Sunday, the latest attempt to oust President Jovenel Moise, whose term they say has expired. In a video statement, Judge Joseph Mecene Jean-Louis, 72, said he "accepted the choice of the opposition and civil society, to serve (his) country as interim president for the transition."
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