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Caribbean & Central America - April 2017 (ISSN 1741-4458)

Green light for Haiti’s Lafontant

In what is a major boost for Haiti’s new president, Jovenel Moïse, who took office in February [RC-17-02], the national legislature last month ratified his choice for prime minister, Dr Jack Guy Lafontant. While the ruling Parti Haïtien Tèt Kale (PHTK) party of former president Michel Martelly (2011-2016) has a majority in both the lower chamber and the senate, doubts had persisted as to whether Lafontant – a gastroenterologist with little political experience – would muster the necessary votes given his weak support in the legislature. The ratification by both houses of the prime minister and his government plan (traditionally a tortuous process in Haiti) is thus a major step forward in addressing the multiple challenges facing the country, the most immediate of which stem from the damage wreaked by Hurricane Matthew which struck in October last year, causing US$2.7bn in losses.

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