By Caribbean News Global
USA / HAITI / CARICOM – A press statement from the US Department of State, accredited to Matthew Miller, Friday, April 12, 2024, said, the United States welcomes [today’s] establishment of a Transitional Presidential Council (TPC) in Haiti. The CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Georgetown, Guyana statement acknowledged the same.
US Department of State
“The result of months of discussion among diverse Haitian stakeholders, this Council helps pave the way for free and fair elections and the expedited deployment of a Multinational Security Support mission. We applaud Haitians for their commitment to move forward in a spirit of reconciliation and national dialogue. We remain committed to working with CARICOM and international partners to support the TPC’s mission to work for and improve the lives of all Haitians.”
The security situation in Haiti remains untenable due to the violence caused by gangs that claim to represent the Haitian people but thrive on violence and misery. Gangs have shut down key infrastructure and economic sites that are lifelines for fuel, humanitarian aid, and other vital supplies, and continue to strip Haitians of their rights to food, education, and healthcare. The United States is surging support for the Haitian security forces to bolster their capabilities as they fight to defend their country.
“We commend Haitian leaders for making tough compromises to move toward democratic governance via free and fair elections. Much work lies ahead, and the United States remains committed to supporting the people of Haiti,” the US Department of State, said in the press release.
The CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Georgetown, Guyana issued the following statement:
“The heads of government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) welcome the news [today] of the publication of the decree establishing the Transitional Presidential Council in Haiti. The establishment of the nine-member broad-based, politically inclusive Council signals the possibility of a new beginning for Haiti.
CARICOM has supported Haiti, its sister nation, through the challenging process of arriving at a Haitian-owned formula for governance that will take the troubled country through elections to the restoration of the lapsed state institutions and constitutional government. Following on from the agreements reached in Kingston, Jamaica, on 11 March, which brought together a diverse group of Haitian political, private sector, civil society and faith-based stakeholders, the Transitional Presidential Council has devised a framework setting out the creation, organization and functioning of the Council, and arrived at a Political Accord that articulates the way forward.
The CARICOM heads of government fully endorse the principles of the Political Accord, and in particular take note of Article 16 which states, “The mission of the Presidential Council is to put Haiti back on the road to dignity, democratic legitimacy, stability and sovereignty and to ensure the proper functioning of the State’s institutions”.
It is also clear that one of the first priorities of the newly installed Presidential Council will be to urgently address the security situation so that Haitians can go about their daily lives in a normal manner; safely access food, water and medical services; children can return to school; women can move around without fear of horrific abuses; and so that businesses can reopen.
“There are still daunting challenges ahead. CARICOM stands ready to continue to support the Haitian people and their leaders as they determine their future in a sovereign manner through this transitional period on the path to stability, security and long-term sustainable development for Haiti.”
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