Page 12 - AT

A12 WORLD NEWS
Friday 11 OctOber 2019
Amid perceived power vacuum, dozens vie to be Haiti's leader

By DÁNICA COTO In her first public comments
Associated Press on Haiti's current situation,
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) U.S. Ambassador Michele
— Haiti's economy is para- Sison told the AP that the
lyzed. Demonstrators fight country needs a function-
police, block roads and ing government that can
loot stores several times a address people's pressing
week. President Jovenel needs. She urged all elect-
Moïse is avoiding public ed leaders, including Haiti's
appearances. And dozens president, senators and
of people from political deputies, to work together
parties old and new are vy- to identify and agree on a
ing to become the coun- peaceful way forward.
try's next leader. "We're urging the various
Opposition leaders range stakeholders to enter into
from a wealthy grocery- dialogue in good faith, a
chain owner to a collection dialogue launched and
of veteran politicians with led by Haitians," she said.
murky pasts, some with al- Moïse also called for dia-
legations of corruption and logue and unity nearly two
ties to organized crime. De- weeks ago during a tele-
spite unifying outrage at vised speech broadcast
Moïse's political and eco- at 2 a.m., further angering
nomic mismanagement, Entrepreneur and youth leader Pascéus Juvensky St. Fleur, 26, holds up his copy of the Haitian Haitians. He hasn't spo-
protesters say the absence constitution during an interview with the AP, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2019. ken in public yet and only
of a charismatic leader Associated Press briefly appeared in front of
and a clear strategy is fuel- a business called Nick's Ex-
ing chaos and the sense of tions should be placed on ber of an opposition coali- an attempted 1988 coup terminating last Thursday to
an unending crisis. the table. tion called the Consensual against a transitional gov- shake hands with a hand-
Moïse still has more than "The country needs a genu- Alternative, which is orga- ernment installed after for- ful of vendors in the capital
two years left in his term af- ine re-engineering so it can nizing the protests. mer president Jean-Claude of Port-au-Prince before his
ter taking office in February move forward because ev- Also a member of that Duvalier was forced out, convoy sped away.
2017 and says he will not eryone is failing as a lead- coalition is Senator Youri and Senator Sorel Jacinthe, As protesters continue to
step down despite violent er," he said in Creole. "Only Latortue, a retired military a one-time Moïse ally who clash with police, set up
protests that have shut- the people right now have official who is considered recently told local reporters barricades and march
tered businesses and kept legitimacy." one of Haiti's most power- that certain legislators ac- through parts of Port-au-
2 million children from go- Hours after Cantave's ful politicians. He worked cepted money to approve Prince and elsewhere in
ing to school for nearly a speech, Moïse's office is- under former presidents Moïse's choice for prime Haiti, many Haitians say
month. Nearly 20 people sued a statement saying he Jean-Bertrand Aristide and minister. they are eager to welcome
have died and about 200 has named seven people René Préval and has de- Joining veteran politicians a new leader but they also
injured in protests fueled by charged with leading dis- nied corruption allegations in their call for Moïse's resig- warn that they will keep an
anger over corruption, ris- cussions to find a solution to including drug trafficking nation is well-known Haitian eye on them.
ing inflation and scarcity of help end the crisis. Among that the U.S. made against businessman Reginald Bou- "They don't work for those
basic goods including fuel. them is former prime minis- him more than a decade los, a former doctor with no who are weakest," said pro-
With Moïse unyielding, the ter Evans Paul, who recent- ago. Until recently, he led a political experience who is tester and activist Claude
opposition disorganized ly told The Associated Press party allied with Moïse's Tet vying to become president. Toussaint.
and the international com- that he believes Moïse has Kale faction until he broke "There is no way the presi- Many demonstrators, such
munity on the sidelines, several options, including away. dent can ever recover his as entrepreneur Pascéus
Haiti likely faces months nominating an opposition- "The president has shown credibility, his legitimacy," Juvensky St. Fleur, say the
or even years of dysfunc- backed prime minister and he is incapable of govern- Boulos told AP, adding that protests are not only about
tion that's deep enough to shortening his mandate. ing," Latortue told AP. his goals if elected include replacing a president, but
cause widespread misery On Wednesday, opposition He noted that a company the redistribution of wealth changing a system that
and political and econom- figures who are leading the once owned by Moïse was and a greater investment they say marginalizes many
ic free-fall without causing protests rejected Moïse's named in a Senate inves- in agriculture. in a country of nearly 11
a government overthrow. statement, saying the com- tigation that found that Opposition leaders have million people where 60%
"It's a completely dysfunc- mission has no credibility. huge sums of money from created a nine-person makes less than $2 a day
tional country," said Ben- "A head of state who re- a Venezuelan subsidized commission they say would and 25% make less than $1
zico Pierre with the Center spects himself and who re- oil program were misspent be responsible for oversee- a day.
for the Promotion of De- spects his people does not during Haiti's previous gov- ing an orderly transition of St. Fleur tapped on a worn
mocracy and Participatory create, in times of crisis, a ernment. Moïse has de- power and help choose copy of Haiti's constitu-
Education, a Haitian think commission of negotiation nied any wrongdoing. The Haiti's next leader, not- tion as he said that Article
tank. "There's no trust in the with his advisers and his investigation also named ing that the constitution 35 guarantees freedom to
institutions." spokesmen. This is not seri- several former top gov- calls for the head of the work and that only all Hai-
It's a concern that Carl ous," attorney André Michel ernment officials from the Supreme Court, who was tians together can bring
Murat Cantave, presi- told The Associated Press. administration of President appointed by Moïse earlier about change.
dent of Haiti's Senate, ac- Michel was one of 70 can- Michel Martelly, who pre- this year, to take over if a "It's not one person, it's not
knowledged in a speech didates who participated ceded Moïse in office and president resigns. one regime, it's not a presi-
televised Tuesday as he in the presidential election is an ally. The leaders also have re- dent, it's not the opposition,
warned that Haiti's crisis is of 2015, the same year he Other members of the co- jected any suggestion of it's not the bourgeoisie, but
"rotting." had his U.S. visa revoked for alition include former Army dialogue, saying they want it's us who should do it," he
He urged Moïse to launch what he says are unknown Col. Himmler Rébu, who Moïse to step down imme- said. "We dream of, and
a dialogue and said all op- reasons. He is now a mem- was accused of instigating diately. we want, a better Haiti."q