PORT-AU-PRINCE — Prime Minister Ariel Henry called on fellow Haitians to have more dialogue and form a consensus to face the challenges of 2022. In a pre-recorded YouTube Christmas message, Henry said while 2021 was a tough year, Haitians need to put their heads together to move forward.
“We have to have the courage to look where we are and where we want to go,” said Henry. “To get to the path of peace, dialogue and consensus, let’s stop fighting, let’s stop fighting against ourselves.”
Henry referred to the country’s ongoing political and social challenges in the video. Namely, that Haiti had lost its head of state, the August 14 earthquake that devastated the South and the tragic accident of the fuel truck explosion in Cap-Haitien, which killed dozens of people. He then urged Haitians to “show strength to work to change the future of the country” by working together to face the challenges ahead of year 2022.
The Prime Minister also announced he would form a Provisional Electoral Council, a new constitution and the modernization of the national police. He said the country must be led by elected representatives resulting from “good elections” like “in all democratic countries.”
Haiti’s general election, which had been scheduled for Nov. 7, was postponed after Henry dismissed on Sep. 28 the council that organizes elections, a decision many in the country felt was too partisan. To achieve elections in 2022, Henry said his government would modernize the national police by providing adequate equipment and training “so that it can continue to protect the population and fight against insecurity”.