Ariel Henry holds this position since 2021
Kingston:
Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry has resigned as head of the Caribbean nation, a post that the 74-year-old neurosurgeon has held without election since 2021, the leader of a regional body said on Monday.
“We acknowledge his resignation following the establishment of a transitional presidential council and the appointment of an interim prime minister,” said Caribbean Community Chairman and Guyana President Irfaan Ali, who thanked Henry for his service to Haiti.
Henry traveled to Kenya late last month to secure his leadership role in a U.N.-backed international security mission to help police fight armed gangs, but violence in the capital, Port-au-Prince, escalated sharply in his absence, leaving him stranded in the U.S. in Puerto Rico territory.
Henry’s resignation came as regional leaders met in nearby Jamaica earlier on Monday to discuss a framework for a political transition, which the United States last week urged to “expedite” while gangs called for Henry to step down.
Regional officials have been holding talks with members of Haiti’s political parties, the private sector, civil society and religious groups with the aim of establishing a transitional council to pave the way for the first elections since 2016.
Many Haitians view Henry as corrupt and he has repeatedly postponed elections, saying security must be restored first.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken earlier on Monday called for the creation of a “broad-based, inclusive, independent presidential college.”
Blinken said the committee is tasked with meeting the “urgent needs” of the Haitian people, enabling the deployment of security missions and creating the necessary security conditions for free elections.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
