- Home
-
Products
- Agriculture
- Apparel
- Association and Organisation
- Automobiles Cars Motorcycles
- Business Services
- Chemicals
- Computer Hardware Software
- Construction
- Consumer Electronics
- Electrical Equipment Supplies
- Electronic Components and Supplies
- Energy
- Environment
- Excess Inventory
- Fashion Accessories
- Food and Beverage
- Franchises
- Furniture and Furnishings
- General Industrial Equipment
- General Mechanical Components
- Gifts and Crafts
- Hardware
- Health and Medical
- Home and Garden
- Home Appliances
- Light and Lighting
- For Sellers
- For Buyers
- Tradeshows
- Community
- Our Services
- About Us
- More Search Options
- Trading Tools
- Trade Resources
- Shop Affiliates
- Home
- Company News
- Haiti changes Prime Minister during critical period in country's recovery
Haiti changes Prime Minister during critical period in country's recovery
Fernando Sanchez
Tuesday, Nov. 3
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - President René Préval requested the Haitian Congress to quickly approve his selection of Jean Max Bellerive as the new Prime Minister to replace Michèle Pierre-Louis, who was removed from the position by the Senate on Oct. 30, after legislators criticized her handling of the economic recovery in the impoverished island nation.
In a move that also dissolves the cabinet, Pierre-Louis was removed when 18 of Haiti's 29 senators voted for censure, reported Listín Diario. The motion against the Prime Minister was led by members of Préval's party, Lespwa, which has held a majority in congress since the elections at the beginning of the year.
Pierre-Louis, reported Telesur, was accused of squandering approximately US$197 million in hurricane relief donations after four storms devastated Haiti in 2008. She defended herself by stating that "these resources were invested with total transparency."
A former economist, Pierre-Louis has been praised by the United Nations' mission for stabilization in Haiti (Minustah), for her response to the hurricanes. She announced in a statement to La Jornada that "This censure motion was adopted at a critical time for political, economic and social stabilization efforts in the country."
According to Prensa Latina, Bellerive will soon be ratified as the new Prime Minister based on his rapid acceptance by the presidents of both houses, Kelly Bastien in the Senate and Levaillant Louis-Jeune in Congress, after he meets with President Préval.
Bastien said, according to Telesur, that Bellerive's approval must be processed quickly "to avoid creating a political vacuum." He added, "The whole process should be complete before Nov. 18."
Bellerive, who holds a degree in Political Science and International Relations, left Haiti as a child and was educated in Switzerland, France and Belgium. He returned to Haiti in 1986, shortly before former dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier was toppled. From 2000-2006, Bellerive was Chief-of-Staff to Prime Minister Jean-Marie Cherestal before serving as Chief Technical Advisor to Prime Minister Yvon Neptune. Until Pierre-Louis's ousting, reported EFE, Bellerive was Haiti's Planning Minister.
http://infosurhoy.com
