Haiti: Fritz-Alphonse Jean named interim Prime Minister

Haiti’s interim leader Jocelerme Privert named Fritz-Alphonse Jean – a former Central Bank governor as interim prime minister to help pull the country out of a paralyzing electoral crisis.

Jean will work on forming a government before delivering a policy statement to Haitian lawmakers.

“For decades, frustrations have piled up in our country due to unkept promises,” Jean said Friday during his first public speech. We need to stop improvising and start planning.”

Standing by his side, Privert reiterated his goal to unite a highly polarized political system.

“The country’s future does not depend on a single citizen or single party alone. The future of the country depends on us all,” the president said. It’s time for all of us to make sacrifices in the interest of national unity.”

Within his 120-day mandate, Privert is due to see to the end an electoral process that was interrupted in January. Privert took office on February 14, a week after the departure of president Michel Martelly, who left without a successor after a vote to choose his replacement was postponed.

Haiti is set to hold presidential and legislative elections within the next 4 months.