Haiti’s Prime Minister Ariel Henry resigned from his post on Thursday (25), leaving the way clear for the formation of a new government in the Caribbean country, which has been devastated by gang violence that has killed or injured more than 2,500 people between January and March.
Henry submitted his resignation in a letter signed in Los Angeles, dated April 24, and released by his office, the same day that a council tasked with choosing a new prime minister and cabinet for Haiti is due to be sworn in.
The council is expected to be installed more than a month after Caribbean leaders announced its creation, following an emergency meeting to address the growing crisis in Haiti.
The nine-member council, of which seven have voting power, is also expected to help define the agenda for a new Cabinet. The body also has the functions of appointing a provisional electoral commission and establishing a national security council.
On February 29, armed gangs launched coordinated attacks in the capital, Port-au-Prince, and surrounding areas. They burned police stations and hospitals, opened fire on the main international airport — which has remained closed since early March — and stormed Haiti’s two largest prisons, freeing more than 4,000 inmates.
Tags: Haitis Prime Minister signs resignation paves transition months violence World
