Haiti Agrees to 22-Month Transitional Council

Haiti has agreed to the formation of a transitional council for 22 months. After weeks of chaos and political uncertainty, the country’s political leaders have finally reached a consensus on the formation of a nine-member political council, which will include representatives of the country’s main parties, as well as representatives of the private sector and civil society.

Of these nine members, seven will be voting members and two will serve as observers. The council will have a mandate effective until February 7, 2026, according to the agreement document, and its main objective will be to reestablish order in the country and call for democratic elections before the expiration of its mandate.

Restore order

Following yesterday’s important announcement, the members appointed to form the transitional council hope to begin their legal mandate after the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry.

The main function of the new political body will be to restore order after months of gang violence that has sown chaos in the capital, Port-au-Prince, with assaults on prisons and even the old presidential palace.

Henry resigned on March 11, after being questioned by a large part of the Haitian political class. The former prime minister, who is out of the country, was forced to resign once he exceeded the legal time of his mandate, in spite of his manifest intentions to remain in power.

The proliferation of organized criminal gangs is a real threat in the country today, as they have become an alternative power, reinforced by the lack of public authority. Restoring order and putting an end to gang power will be the number one priority of the new Haitian political power.

It is worth remembering that criminal gangs control 80% of the capital, disputing the control even of the presidential palace, from where the new council wants to exercise its power after its official appointment by the outgoing prime minister.

Democratic elections

The transitional council intends to elect a prime minister to form a government. Between the government and the council, Haiti will have to orient itself to holding democratic elections before February 2026. They would be the first elections held by the country since 2016, when Jovenel Moise won with more than 55% of the vote. Moise was assassinated in July 2021 by hitmen, mostly foreigners, inspired by an internal conspiracy still under investigation.

In the Haitian elections, it has been agreed that none of the members of the transitional council will be able to run as candidates.

In the political agreement that was announced today, the mediating role of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) has been decisive. It is now expected that the resigned Henry will promulgate the appointment of the members of the Transitional Council in the official gazette of the State, thus achieving a legal and peaceful succession of public power.