Overview:
The Montana Accord’s Prime Minister-designate, Steven Irvenson Benoit, resigned from the political transition group that aims to move Haiti out of its crises
Port-au-Prince — The Montana Accord’s Prime Minister-designate, Steven Irvenson Benoit, has resigned from the political transition group that aimed to move Haiti out of its crises.
“I am writing to inform you of my resignation as Prime Minister-elect in order to facilitate any possible negotiation of the Montana group with other vital sectors of society in the search for a national consensus and to deal with the multiple crises affecting the Haitian people,” he wrote to National Transitional Council President James Beltis in a Jan.30 letter.
Via a tweet, the former senator also made it known that he is still a member of the Montana group. He also invited Prime Minister Ariel Henry to reconsider many calls made to him to resign as Prime Minister so the country might move forward. Recommendation which elicited no reaction from Henry.
In January 2021, Benoit was selected to be prime minister of the National Transition Council, a proposed interim government to rule Haiti organized by the members of the Montana Accord, a Haitian civil society coalition. The Accord proposed a transitional government composed of a prime minister and five-person presidential college.
Among other posts, the Council had also selected Fritz Alphonse Jean, a former governor of Haiti’s Central Bank, as its transitional president. Members of the Accord have since called for further input to finish naming the presidential college.
Benoit’s departure from the largely ceremonial post is yet another set back for the country that appears stuck since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021. It comes at a time when leaders appear to be unable to steer the country back to democracy.
Currently, Haiti has not one single elected official in the country. Increasingly gangs have controlled the capital city and the police appear to be in disarray as the force has broken into different factions. According to residents, some watchdog organizations in Haiti and international monitors, many police are affiliated with the armed gangs.
Father Gardy Maisonneve, head of Sant Karl Leveque, revealed on several radio stations in Haiti that at least 40% of the roughly 10,000 officers have allegiances to the gangs.