A week since Michel Martelly stepped down as president in the absence of a successor following the cancellation of the 24 January presidential run-off, Haiti’s legislature fulfilled the first part of the deal he struck ahead of his departure with the senate president, Jocelerme Privert, and the head of the lower chamber, Cholzer Chancy. On 14 January Privert, an ally of the populist former president Jean-Bertrand Aristide (1991, 1994-1996; 2001-2004), swapped the presidency of the senate for that of the country after defeating two other candidates for the post which he will hold for a 120-day period. How far Privert will make good on his pledge to engage in dialogue with all sectors – the need for which was strenuously underlined by the Organization of American States (OAS) in the absence of “existing constitutional provisions” – remains to be seen. End of preview - This article contains approximately 999 words.
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