'Haiti, Where the President Was Assassinated, May Resolve Power Struggle... Interim Prime Minister to Step Down'

Haitian Civil Society "Foreign Forces' Political Interference" Backlash
Political Turmoil Expected to Continue for the Time Being

Claude Joseph, Interim Prime Minister of Haiti
[Photo by Reuters]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suhwan] Claude Joseph, the interim Prime Minister who has been responsible for Haiti's government following the assassination of President Jovenel Mo?se, has finally decided to step down.

On the 19th (local time), Prime Minister Joseph announced in an interview with The Washington Post (WP) that he would resign from his position.

Matthias Pierre, Haiti's Minister of Elections, also confirmed Joseph's resignation and stated that Ariel Henry, the designated Prime Minister, would take office instead, according to the Associated Press (AP).

This appears to bring an end to the power struggle between the 'two prime ministers' that erupted after President Mo?se was assassinated on the 7th.

Joseph, who took office as 'interim Prime Minister' following the resignation of the previous prime minister in April and also served as Foreign Minister, stepped forward to lead the government after Mo?se's assassination.

However, strictly speaking, the prime minister is not constitutionally the successor to the presidency, and since President Mo?se had appointed a new prime minister two days before his death, Joseph's execution of the prime minister role itself was controversial.

Ariel Henry, a 71-year-old neurosurgeon and the designated prime minister who had not yet taken office, claimed in an interview with the media that he was the legitimate Prime Minister of Haiti.

Subsequently, the 'Core Group,' composed of UN, Organization of American States (OAS) envoys, and ambassadors from the European Union (EU), the United States, France, Germany, Brazil, Canada, Spain, and others stationed in Haiti, issued a statement on the 17th recommending that Henry assume the prime minister position.

In the WP interview, Joseph said he had met separately with Henry over the past week to discuss the issue and on the 18th ultimately decided to resign "for the sake of the country."

He said, "Everyone who knows me knows that I am not interested in fighting or power struggles. President Mo?se was my friend. I am only interested in delivering justice for him."

He added, "It seems that Henry will be inaugurated as the new prime minister on the 20th."

However, Haitian civil society criticizes the agreement between Joseph and Henry as an artificial intervention by the international community, including the United States. They point out that both Joseph and Henry, being close to President Mo?se, are not free from responsibility for the rise of authoritarianism and the spread of gang violence within Haiti.

Ariel Henry, Prime Minister-Designate of Haiti
Photo by EPA Yonhap News

According to foreign media, the Haitian people are voicing criticism of the international community's support for Henry and are calling for the formation of a new interim government.

A Haitian social activist told WP in an interview, "We hope the international community listens to our voices," emphasizing, "No foreign power can decide who our leader will be."

A senator also criticized, saying, "Political interference by foreign powers is occurring," and "It results in betraying the interests of the Haitian people."

Moreover, discord continues between Haiti and the international community over the acting presidency. Haitian senators elected Joseph Lambert, the Senate President, as acting president, but the international community does not recognize this.

Senate President Lambert criticized Henry for recruiting close associates of President Mo?se and forming a "partisan" government, stressing that "finding a national consensus is the priority."

As a result, although the power struggle within Haiti has been temporarily resolved, concerns remain that political instability will not subside.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.