Port-au-Prince, HAITI – As usual, the prominent morning news on Radio Télé Caraïbe delivered a headline that caught many here by surprise: Laurent Saint-Cyr was appointed as the new head of the transitional nine-member presidential council.
Listen to the author read this article:
For most of the population, myself included, the news last week was the first time we heard of it. There had been no public vote and no transparency leading up to this decision.
So, what exactly is this transitional presidential council? It’s a group of nine individuals tasked with organizing the next presidential elections, following the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021.
Originally, this mission was entrusted to a single person. Yet, despite expanding the leadership to nine members, the country remains in a state unfit for elections – plagued by insecurity, displacement, gang terrorism and ongoing violence.
Let’s face it: having nine “presidents” hasn’t changed much.
Does Laurent Saint-Cyr bring hope? Perhaps, if we only go by the content of his clichéd speech, which promotes action over words.
But in truth, Laurent Saint-Cyr comes out of nowhere. He lacks popular support and, unlike traditional politicians, hails from the elite business class, which is associated with corruption and oppression.
It’s no secret that some of these elites have historically armed gangs to protect their interests, fueling the crisis that now devours the country and pulls young people into gang life.
So, is this choice of a wealthy Haitian businessman a strategic one, because only one of them can undo what they helped create?
Naïka Jean is a Reporter with Youth Journalism International.
