Tag: Miami Herald

“We’re far from being done with this operation,” said the task force operative who spoke to the Herald. “But I would say we’re at least at the end of the beginning. And what we’ve seen of [the Haitian national police] is now the ability to go and clear these neighborhoods, overmatch the gangs that tend to not want to fight as much because the gangs lose those fights.”

Members of the council have been accused of targeting the prime minister in order to keep their grip on power and remain in the transitional posts after Feb. 7. On Friday, council members Leslie Voltaire, who has been accused of leading the push, and Edgard Leblanc Fils spoke at a joint press conference declaring they have the right to replace the prime minister and want to ensure the country doesn’t fall into chaos after Feb. 7. The two men, however, also gave contradictory messages about the process, with Voltaire talking about “a pause to allow political parties and civil society groups to meet” and seek what he described as an acceptable governance arrangement, and Leblanc saying that the resolution firing Fils-Aimé “is ready” to be sent to the National Press for printing.

Haitians woke up Thursday under a cloud of uncertainty as the country’s fragile political transition descended into open confrontation, with the sides locked in a standoff and neither appearing willing to back down. With just days remaining until its mandate ends, Haiti’s Transitional Presidential Council is seeking to remove Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé from office. Such a move would create a dangerous political vacuum—one the United States and other international partners are anxious to avoid—and could open the door to renewed instability at a moment Haiti’s security forces have begun to make measurable gains against armed gangs.

Members of the Security Council made clear that the presidential council’s mandate will end in 18 days. Yet, despite this, members seem poised to remain in office while targeting Fils-Aimé’s, who is trying to avoid the fate of predecessor Garry Conille, who was also fired by the council. But unlike Conille, who was fired after six months and lost support from Washington, Fils-Aimé is in a different position. Foreign diplomats in Port-au-Prince have made it clear the council’s days are numbered and that Fils-Aimé, a businessman, must stay on for continuity and to avoid a political vacuum that could further embolden gangs.

Time is running out for Haiti’s political leaders to reach a consensus on how the country should be governed after Feb. 7, when the ruling Transitional Presidential Council is expected to step down without transferring power to an elected government.