By Vishani Ragobeer
Vishani@newsroom.gy
Haiti is finally expected to get fresh elections by August 31, 2025 following talks between the country’s Prime Minister Ariel Henry and other leaders in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
Prime Minister of The Bahamas, Philip Davis on Wednesday said “a number of major steps” were taken by CARICOM leaders who gathered in Georgetown for their biannual summit this week.
Though the leaders focused on the humanitarian crisis and gang violence that has engulfed the country, Davis said they were also keenly focused on advancing much-needed political processes.
“The Haiti situation is truly a terrible situation. Haiti is haemorrhaging,” Davis said, disclosing that talks on resolving the Haitian crisis topped CARICOM’s agenda over the three-day summit.
But before fresh elections are held, several other matters must be addressed. One, Davis said, is that a needs assessment must be done to support planning for the elections. That needs assessment team should include representatives from CARICOM, the United Nations and the Organization of American States (OAS).
“That assessment team will be there to support planning,” Davis said.
Guyana’s President, who is the current CARICOM Chairman, Dr. Irfaan Ali said the decisions on Haiti were made after “frank” and “difficult” discussions.
“We are urging that each stakeholder must recognise that they will not obtain all they want but Haiti must obtain what it needs,” Dr. Ali said.
The challenges of the already fragile country boiled over in 2021, when its President Jovenel Moise was assassinated. Gang violence has engulfed the country and the United Nations (UN) estimates that conflict in the country killed about 5,000 people last year.
Ariel Henry has been functioning as interim Prime Minister and though he promised to allow fresh elections to unfold, earlier this month he said elections would take place when the security situation improves.
That security situation- the existence of dangerous gangs- was also discussed at the CARICOM summit. President Ali noted that some countries in the region have already committed to sending in some of their troops to support the Haitian Police Force and the United Nations- backed multinational force that should be led by Kenya.
Some nations also support Haiti through the provision of humanitarian aid.
“It is a Haitian-led solution,” Dr. Ali said of the all-round efforts to support Haiti.
