International

IDB Group President Ilan Goldfajn said the development bank is ready to help the most vulnerable countries in the region as they grapple with the fallout from rising oil prices—and Haiti is first in line.  The Inter-American Development Bank, the IDB Group’s public-sector lending arm, approved a two-year concessional program for $283 million last November to aid the crisis-riven country, the hemisphere’s poorest, and there may be more to come.

A record 280 political parties and counting had registered by Thursday’s deadline to participate in Haiti’s first general election in a decade, although not all will make the cut. Nonetheless, the newcomers rejoiced, hopeful for a chance to help ease their country’s multiple crises that are largely rooted in gang violence and corruption.

Haitian President Jovenel Moïse died from a gunshot to the heart after his body had already been riddled with bullets during the brazen July 7, 2021, attack on his home, Haiti’s top forensic expert testified Thursday in Miami federal court.

Then Haitians deserve a choice. The gangs will undoubtedly back pliable candidates, and members of the old corrupt elite will try their luck. What Haitians really need is, if not a Mandela figure, at least a leader capable of getting the basics right: orderly streets and a non-predatory state. It is far from clear who that leader might be. (Mr Fils-Aimé cannot run.) However, better security might give candidates time to emerge. Haitians, mindful of the consequences of bad leadership, should scrutinise them carefully.

Le Conseil électoral provisoire (CEP) a annoncé que 205 partis se sont déjà  inscrits, à quelques heures de la fin du processus d’enregistrement. Lancé le 2 mars,  l’enregistrement des structures politiques s’achève ce jeudi 12 mars à 4h00 PM. Le CEP invite les partis non encore enregistrés à compléter les formalités dans le respect du calendrier électoral. La liste définitive sera publiée le 26 mars, informe le conseil.