Battle Lines Being Drawn on Who Leads Haiti Into the Future

Prime Minister Dr. Ariel Henry says no one will be allowed to meet in a hotel or abroad to decide in small committees who will be the next President or Prime Minister of Haiti.

But, Senate chief Joseph Lambert claims Henry is not legally in office now and elections should be held.

In a nationwide radio and television broadcast on Monday night that coincided with the seven-month anniversary of the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse, Henry said, “the situation of the country is too serious to play musical chairs at the head of the State.”

“I will say that anyone who is tempted to use gangs, terrorists, and gunslingers to gain power will be treated as terrorists and gunslingers,” Henry said.

The address also highlighted the political uncertainty in the country, with opposition parties saying that Moïse’s mandate as head of state officially ended on Monday and renewed calls for the election of a new head of state.

President of the Upper House, Senator Joseph Lambert, in a broadcast to the nation also on Monday, accused Prime Minister Henry of seeking to seize power in the country.

“On the fringes of all legality, the reality of power is seized by the prime minister who has not managed to exercise it. It’s been seven months since Dr. Ariel Henry is unable to say what his mandate consists of,” Lambert said.

He said faced with the accelerated deterioration of political life in Haiti, the de facto government no longer has much to say about the country’s problems as the socio-economic and political situation worsens.

“Consultation and consensus are essential for the actors who, in a burst of lucidity, must understand that any sectarian initiative is doomed to failure, which will lead to the collapse of the country,” Lambert said.