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WORLD NEWSMonday 22 February 2016
Haiti leader insists interim government to last 120 days
DAVID McFADDEN sition protests and deep Haiti’s provisional President Jocelerme Privert arrives at the National Palace in Port-au-Prince,
Associated Press suspicions of electoral Haiti. Privert will lead the country until the postponed presidential election runoff set for April, with
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) fraud favoring his chosen the newly elected president to be installed in May.
— Haiti’s provisional presi- successor, Jovenel Moise,
dent said this weekend derailed a scheduled run- (AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery)
he’s committed to meeting off vote last month. It was
deadlines that will ensure postponed for the first time whatever it takes for the “If you look back at transi- next prime minister this
his caretaker government in December. calendar of 120 days to be tional governments in Haiti weekend. They have been
lasts for no more than 120 A last-minute accord respected.” in the past, I think we have proposed by political fac-
days to comply with a re- reached early this month Kenneth Merten, the U.S. seen these periods as times tions and civil society. He
cently negotiated accord. by lawmakers and Martelly State Department’s special when work at addressing says he is trying to smooth
The comments by President called for a postponed run- coordinator for Haiti, said the chronic challenges deep divisions to ensure
Jocelerme Privert came at off to be held April 24, with in a press briefing this week that Haiti faces doesn’t a prime minister is chosen
his first press conference as a newly elected president that the success of the ac- really progress very well,” with as much consensus as
Haiti’s interim leader. A ma- installed on May 14. It said cord hammered out by the Merten said. possible.
jority of lawmakers chose the provisional president country’s political leaders Privert, in fact, was jailed for The proposed candidates
the former Senate chief would be elected for a depended on the interim two years on charges that include Mirlande Manigat,
last weekend to lead a term of no more than 120 government’s commitment were eventually dropped a former first lady and presi-
short-term caretaker gov- days. to fulfilling terms of the deal under Haiti’s last interim dential hopeful in 2010, Ed-
ernment, filling a void left While various political fig- on the timeline they estab- government, which lasted gard Leblanc Fils, a former
by the end of ex-President ures have asserted that lished. for two years following a Senate president who was
Michel Martelly’s tenure. the transitional govern- Merten said previous inter- violent 2004 rebellion that beaten by Privert in the
Martelly departed office ment should last for a lon- im administrations in Haiti ousted ex-President Jean- parliamentary vote to be
on schedule Feb. 7 with ger period of time, Privert did not have good track Bertrand Aristide from pow- provisional leader, and Fritz
no elected leader to take told reporters this weekend records when it came to er for a second time. Jean, an economist who
his place. Violent oppo- that he was “going to do moving the country for- Privert also named six can- once was governor of Hai-
ward. didates vying to be the ti’s central bank.q
Guyana: state involved in historian’s death
BERT WILKINSON known about the plot. found blamed agents of
Associated Press Walter Rodney was killed the state for handing him
GEORGETOWN, Guyana when a bomb concealed the device.
(AP) — A commission of in- in a two-way radio set The Associated Press saw a
quiry into the June 1980 kill- exploded in his lap. The copy of the three-member
ing of a Guyanese historian author of the acclaimed commission’s 155-page re-
has found that the state book “How Europe Under- port that was delivered to
played a role in his death developed Africa” was 38. the government last week.
and high officials including The then-opposition Work- It has not been made
then-Prime Minister Forbes ing People’s Alliance public.q
Burnham would have (WPA) that he helped
