After nearly five months of deadlock Haiti’s President Michel Martelly has won approval from parliament for his third choice of prime minister. This means that he can finally appoint a cabinet and get on with the job of governing the country. The drawn out test of strength with parliament was damaging not only at a domestic policymaking level but also in terms of international credibility at a time when Haiti is desperate for the international community to fulfil multi-billion dollar pledges to help reconstruct the country after the devastating earthquake of January 2010.
The new prime minister is Garry Conille, 45, a physician who has served as a prominent assistant to the former US President, Bill Clinton, in his capacity as UN special envoy to Haiti and co-chair of the Interim Haiti Recovery Commission (IHRC). The senate approved Conille’s nomination on 4 October with 17 votes in favour, three against and nine abstentions. The lower chamber voted by 89-0 in favour of Conille last month, but the senate was always going to pose more of a challenge as Inité, the party of Martelly’s predecessor, René Préval, has a majority here.
The approval of Conille does not mean that Martelly is suddenly going to have an easy time of it in parliament. Inité Senator Joseph Lambert called on Conille to return to parliament to seek a vote of confidence for his plan of governance and cabinet appointments. Conille’s plan of governance could encounter stiff opposition if it includes a proposal to re-establish an army in Haiti, which Martelly has publicly advocated to replace the UN stabilisation mission (Minustah) once it leaves the country.
“Why would the international community fund an army?” Senator Moïse Jean-Charles, a member of Inité, asked rhetorically in an interview with the foreign press. “We don’t have anyone we’re going to war with.” Instead, he argued that the US$95m estimate for restoring the army, including US$15m for soldiers demobilised when it was disbanded in 1994, would be better spent improving the police force (see the latest edition of our sister publication Caribbean & Central America report).
Conille’s professional profile, and especially his close relations with Clinton, makes his appointment a smart move in terms of securing the continued support of the international community. National sovereignty is precious to Haitians, however, given the country’s proud history as the first independent nation in Latin America and the first Black-led Republic in the world, followed by years of foreign intervention, so Conille was keen to emphasise that he was not the international community’s candidate.
Having worked for the UN Development Programme (UNDP) in Ethiopia and Niger, Conille said instead that he could draw from his experience abroad. He also pointedly turned down interviews with the international press before he could speak to the Haitian media in a calculated attempt to show where his loyalties lie.
Conille’s biggest challenge will be winning international finance and investment to rebuild Haiti while retaining control over as much of this as possible to keep parliament onside: deputies and senators are acutely aware of their decisive role. Not just hiring, but also firing prime ministers and have shown a propensity for exercising their power in the recent past.
Boosting investment
Just under a month ago Martelly announced the launch of a Presidential Advisory Council on Growth and Investments, co-chaired by Bill Clinton, which seeks to tap international expertise to haul Haiti out of its economic morass. The new 32-strong body is composed of numerous luminaries including eight former heads of state, five CEOs of multinational companies with expertise in energy, cruise line, media and real estate, and a Nobel Peace Prize recipient. Its purpose is to advise Martelly on initiatives to attract foreign investment to Haiti and promote job creation. The Council will form a multifaceted role as a think tank, consultancy and marketing firm rolled into one, with individual members undertaking to serve as unofficial mini-ambassadors for the country.
One board member, former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe (2002-2010), stressed his personal commitment to the cause: “We are all greatly indebted to Haiti, from a social and democratic perspective. When Colombia’s independence was in doubt, Haiti was of great support. Now, Haiti needs concrete demonstrations of support and the will to help the country move forward.”
Conille survives grilling
Crucially Garry Conille emerged unscathed from the convoluted parliamentary process, which has ensnared many previous nominees, of strict nationality and residency requirements. The authenticity of his four passports was confirmed. He was also found to be a tax-paying Haitian citizen with five years consecutive residency in the country prior to his nomination despite his job for the UN taking him abroad for extended periods.
