Weekly Report - 12 November 2009 (WR-09-45)

HAITI | New cabinet. Jean Max Bellerive was confirmed as Haiti's new prime minister on 7 November, following ratification by both houses of parliament. Two days later he unveiled his new cabinet, choices which reflected considerable input from President René Préval. Bellerive's new ministerial team includes 11 of the 18 officials that served under his predecessor, Michí¨lle Pierre-Louis, with those considered “too close" to Pierre-Louis excluded. New faces include Paul Denis, Préval's key advisor and former 2005 presidential candidate for the opposition Organisation du Peuple en Lutte (OPL), as minister for justice and public security; and Yves Christalin, an influential member of Fanmi Lavalas, the party of former president Jean-Bertrand Aristide, as labour and social affairs minister. The new economy minister is Ronald Baudin, hitherto general secretary of Pierre-Louis's office,while  the foreign affairs portfolio went to Marie Michí¨le Rey, another advisor to Préval, who served as Haiti's representative before the Caribbean Community (Caricom).