Haiti Likely to Install Short-Term Interim Government Amid Political Turmoil
With Haiti experiencing its most current and volatile political crisis yet, the country might very well shift to a temporary transitional government after outgoing President Michel Martelly steps down from power, according to The Daily Mail.
Haiti Special Coordinator from the United States Kenneth Merten stated that despite world powers such as the U.S. preferring that Haiti holds its elections for a smooth transition of power, the current state of the nation, especially the chaos embroiling it, has placed a massive roadblock in the nation's electoral process.
Thus, Haiti might not be able to hold any form of elections before Martelly's intended departure on Feb. 7.
Haiti was actually set to choose the outgoing president's successor last Sunday. However, the refusal of the opposition's standard-bearer, Jude Celestin, to participate in the elections have put a definitive stop to any attempts at voting, reports Al Jazeera News.
According to Celestin, his stern refusal to participate in the elections last week was due to the elections being riddled with fraud from the government's party. His refusal eventually sparked a number of anti-government protests in the nation, with some of the demonstrations ending in violence.
With no elections in the foreseeable future, there might be no recourse for Haiti than to opt for a transitional government. Such a decision, however, has proven dangerous and volatile in the past. Nevertheless, Merten believes that considering the circumstances, it might be the nation's only option.
"Realistically speaking, we may be looking at some sort of temporary solution until there is a handover to a newly elected president. Our fear is that we go into a situation that is open ended. In our analysis that is a dangerous place to go," he said, according to Yahoo! News.
After all, the unrest in the nation could not be pointed at the opposition's supporters alone. Though supporters of Celestin were responsible for a number of volatile protests, supporters of his rival, government-backed Jovenel Moise, also staged a very prominent protest that caused unrest.
Demanding quick elections, Moise's supporters blocked one of Haiti's most important trade routes, blocking the route with trucks and burning tires. Later, they also marched through the nation's northern cities, demanding an election.
The unrest in Haiti has caught the attention of the United Nations, with secretary-general Ban Ki-moon expressing his concern about the issue and the violence in the nation. According to the U.N. chief, Haitians must work towards a "peaceful completion of the electoral process without delay."
As of the moment, however, Merten stated that the U.S., as well as other world powers, are watching the delicate nation very carefully.
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