CARICOM calls for “consensus agreement” to resolve Haitian political stalemate

Jan 25, 2023 News

Kaieteur News – The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) on Tuesday called on all Haitian stakeholders to “come together in their search for a consensus agreement” aimed at ending the country’s protracted political stalemate.

“CARICOM urges all stakeholders to come together in their search for a consensus agreement,” CARICOM said in a statement.

In the statement to the media issued by the CARICOM Secretariat, the regional body said that it notes the efforts made by various groups of Haitian stakeholders to negotiate political accords since 2021 to contribute to resolving the protracted political stalemate.

Those efforts include the latest agreement that was made public by the Interim Prime Minister on December 21, 2022.

“The Community remains willing and ready to assist in achieving this goal and in that regard had commenced sounding Haitian stakeholders over the past few weeks about their willingness to attend a meeting in a CARICOM country,” the brief statement said.

Haitian flag waving in the wind. Elaborate rendering including motion blur and even a fabric texture (visible at 100%).

After the assassination of Haiti’s President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021 by unidentified gunmen, the interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph assumed control as acting president but then yielded the presidency and prime ministership to prime minister-designate Ariel Henry.

On December 21, 2022, Henry along with representatives of political parties, civil society organizations and private sector signed an agreement to hold the general elections in 2023, with the new government taking office in February 2024.

Henry has been accused of being involved with Joseph Felix Badio, one of the main suspects in the assassination of President Moïse. However, the prime Minister –designate has dismissed the allegations of his involvement in the killing of Moïse as “fake news”.