What's happened
Haiti's transitional council has dismissed interim Prime Minister Garry Conille, appointing businessman Alix Didier Fils-Aimé as his replacement. This decision highlights ongoing political instability and escalating gang violence in the country, which has not held elections in years. The council's authority and effectiveness are increasingly questioned.
Why it matters
What the papers say
According to The New York Times, the council's decision to oust Conille is seen as a politically motivated coup, raising concerns about the council's legal authority. The Guardian notes that the transitional council has been plagued by infighting and corruption, further eroding public trust. Bloomberg highlights that Fils-Aimé, the new appointee, has a background in business but lacks political experience, which may hinder effective governance. The South China Morning Post emphasizes the ongoing gang violence as a significant barrier to restoring order in Haiti.
How we got here
Haiti has faced severe political instability since the assassination of its last president in July 2021. The transitional council, established in April 2024, was tasked with restoring democratic order but has struggled with infighting and corruption allegations, complicating the path to elections.
More on these topics
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Haiti, officially the Republic of Haiti formerly founded as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, to the east of Cuba and Jamaica and south of The Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos
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Dr. Garry Conille is a Haitian academic, development worker, author, and former Prime Minister of Haiti. He submitted his resignation as prime minister on 24 February 2012, and was officially succeeded by Laurent Lamothe on 16 May 2012.
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The Organization of American States, or the OAS or OEA, is a continental organization that was founded on 30 April 1948, for the purposes of solidarity and cooperation among its member states within the Western Hemisphere.