Politics
Haiti: Laurent Lamothe approved by senate as new Prime Minister
Haiti Prime Minister-designate.,Laurent Lamothe. PHOTO/File
Haiti’s Senate late Tuesday approved the nomination of Laurent Lamothe to become the new prime minister of the earthquake-ravaged nation, a parliamentary source said.
Lamothe, who was tapped for the position by President Michel Martelly after the resignation of Gary Conille in February, must still win the approval of the Chamber of Deputies.
The Senate vote was held late Tuesday after a long debate and was announced by Senate President Simon Dieuseul Desras. Lamothe’s candidacy was approved 19-3, with one abstention.
In Haiti, the prime minister is appointed by the president and mainly serves as cabinet chief.
Lamothe’s appointment and the formation of a new government, however, could still take months, as Martelly does not have a majority in parliament.
Lamothe received a political sciences degree from Barry University in Miami and also earned an MBA at St Thomas University in Florida. Known as a keen sportsman, he played tennis for Haiti in the Davis Cup.
He became foreign minister in Martelly’s government in October last year.
Martelly’s administration is trying to ramp up stalled reconstruction efforts following the devastating January 12, 2010 earthquake that flattened large parts of Port-au-Prince and damaged much of the south of the country.
The magnitude 7.0 quake killed 250,000 people and displaced hundreds of thousands. According to UN figures, the quake killed, injured or displaced one in six of the Caribbean nation’s entire population of almost 10 million.
Lamothe told AFP last month that his country was seeking another US$12 billion in aid.
But the head of the UN mission to Haiti has said that the political situation there remains “fragile” and that delays in forming a new government are hindering the recovery and economic development.
“Every time that Haiti is without a government, a prime minister and cabinet, violence and the feeling of lack of security grow,” Mariano Fernandez, head of the MINUSTAH peacekeeping force, said in March.
Even before the earthquake Haiti was the poorest country in the Americas.
Copyright 2012 AFP