News
Haiti: Lawmakers approve Laurent Lamothe as new Prime Minister
“I believe that the people of Haiti deserve better from their leaders,” Clinton said before the vote. He said officials must set aside their differences and self-interests to “restore confidence in the Haitian institutions so that donor funds can flow again and attract new investment.”
Countries around the world and multilateral organizations pledged about US$4.5 billion after the earthquake, but only a little more than half of that money has been released, according to the U.N. Office of the Special Envoy to Haiti. The holdup has been largely attributed to a wait-and-see approach from donors.
Even with the confirmation, it could be days or even weeks before Parliament approves Lamothe’s government plan and Cabinet. It’s expected that Lamothe will keep many of the same ministers.
The six-hour debate in the Chamber of Deputies, broadcast live on national television, centered around whether Lamothe met residency qualifications. Haiti’s constitution requires government officials to have spent five consecutive years in Haiti as well as pay taxes.
Deputy Jean Tholbert Alexis asked his allies in the chamber to vote in favor of Lamothe so the country can move forward, adding that Lamothe’s previous career in business warranted trips overseas.
“Businessmen travel a lot, but it doesn’t mean that they aren’t residents of the country,” Alexis said. “For them to order goods they have to move around and that takes them out of their country.”
Lamothe’s critics charged that he hadn’t paid taxes or lived in the nation long enough to be eligible for office. One deputy suggested the required paperwork submitted to show eligibility could’ve been fraudulent.
