What You Need to Know:
Following a Tuesday announcement by relevant stakeholders, Haitian leaders have declared the finalization of a ‘Political Accord for a Peaceful and Orderly Transition’, which details the proposed structure of the country’s incoming Transitional Presidential Council.
The document outlines necessary steps to achieving a smooth transition to democratic rule, following weeks of unrest as a result of a mass jail break orchestrated by notorious ‘G9’ gang leader Jimmy ‘Barbeque’ Chérizier in early March, and the subsequent stepping down of acting President Ariel Henry at the behest of states present at the Caribbean Communities (CARICOM) emergency meeting. The accord signals a positive development within Haitian politics.
As previously reported, Barbeque–a former police officer, united nine of Haiti’s most feared gangs in June 2020, creating a federation known as the G9 and Family. Following the assassination of former President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021, whose administration allegedly provided Barbque with 50% of its funding, Barbeque has attempted to use his influence as a gang leader to fill the power vacuum left in Moïse’s wake.
Haiti’s Acting President, Ariel Henry came to power after Moïse’s death, and is yet to hold elections, further inflaming tensions between the Haitian Government and its people while Port-au-Prince’s security situation continues to deteriorate.
Henry has been unable to return to Haiti following the storming of Toussaint Louverture Airport by armed gangs on March 5th. The President was due to return to the country following a meeting with Kenyan President Ruto regarding the proposed deployment of Kenyan troops to quell the country’s escalating gang violence.
CARICOM is yet to bring the accord into force, with the Transitional Presidential Council also waiting for Ariel Henry’s outgoing government to agree to the accords terms by acknowledging the nine Transitional Council members in the country’s state publication, Le Moniteur.
“The primary focus of this agreement is to quell the ongoing gang violence and turmoil, safeguard national sovereignty and foster a consensus-based national solution,” states the 14-page document.
The Details:
In a statement released by CARICOM chairman Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, the Transitional Presidential Council shall comprise of:
“Seven voting members and two non-voting observers. The seven voting members will comprise one representative from each of the following groups: Collectif, December 21, EDE/RED/Compris Historique, Lavalas, Montana, Pitit Desalin, and the private sector. The non-voting members will be represented by one member from civil society and one member of the Inter-Faith community.
The Council will exercise specified presidential authorities during the transition, operating by majority vote. Anyone who is on a charge, indictment or has been convicted in any jurisdiction, who is under UN sanction, who intends to run in the next election in Haiti and who opposes the UN Security Council Resolution 2699, is excluded from the Council.
The Transitional Presidential Council will swiftly select and appoint an Interim Prime Minister, and together with the interim leader, appoint an inclusive Council of Ministers.
The Transitional Presidential Council will hold the relevant and possible powers of the Haitian presidency during the transition period, until an elected government is established.”
So, What Now?:
With AFP journalists confirming that the Council’s mandate is to end on February 7th 2026, the Transitional Council has just two years to bring peace, stability, and democracy back to Haiti.
The first step towards achieving this goal, as outlined in the accord, is to elect a Prime Minister to replace the outgoing President Henry. The Prime Minister, alongside the nine member council will undertake all duties relating to governance until “free, fair, and democratic elections can be held.”
The accord also announced the creation of a national security panel tasked with overseeing international security agreements with nations who have promised troops to quell the nation’s ongoing gang violence such as Kenya and Benin as well as the United Nations.
