Haiti's newly-appointed transitional council is already immersed in internal chaos following a conflict over the selection of the country's new prime minister.
A block within the council that had announced the selection of former Sports Minister Fritz Bélizaire agreed to withdraw his appointment and go back to electing a candidate from a list of approved candidates.
The block's four members, who comprise a majority of the council's seven participants with a right to vote, said on Tuesday they had decided to forgo a public vote on the election of the president and the prime minister.
The announcement catalyzed fresh chaos in the council, with other members accusing the "indissoluble bloc" of engaging in the corrupt practices that contributed to Haiti's current state of decay in the first place. According to the Miami Herald, they represent sectors close to the former President Michel Martelly's Haitian Tèt Kale Parti, or PHTK.
"Unfortunately, the charade that took place on April 30, 2024 at the Presidential Council is a conspiracy aimed at guaranteeing power to PHTK and their allies during the transition period and thus perpetuating the tradition of corruption," the political party Fanmi Lavalas said in a statement.
The message was echoed by the Montana Accord, a coalition of civil society groups who have a representative in the council. "The political and economic mafia forces have decided to take control of the presidential council and the government so that they can continue to control the state," they said.
Foreign governments have so far been silent on the short-lived designations and the infighting that ensued. The Miami-based outlet reported that CARICOM, the bloc of Caribbean states helping broker an agreement, called all members to a video conference to get an update on the matters. However, the three members of the minority block didn't make the call as they seek to propose that non-unanimous voting requires five out of seven votes to pass.
Meanwhile, the streets of Haiti continue to be engulfed in chaos, with a new series of attacks by organized gangs this week. The attacks sparked Wednesday late evening in areas like Solino and Delmas 18, 20 and 24 located southwest of the main international airport, pushing many people to leave the areas Thursday morning.
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