Haiti: Months of protest bring Moïse to the table

AFP | Haiti’s President Jovenel Moïse says he has begun closed-door talks with civil society groups and the private sector, as well as moderate elements of the opposition, in a bid to break a political deadlock and an unfolding humanitarian crisis sparked by 2 months of anti-government demonstrations.

In an interview with Reuters at the weekend, Moïse said the negotiations were aimed at creating a government of national unity.

The 51-year-old president, who is facing widespread anger over galloping inflation, rampant insecurity and allegations of corruption, did specify with whom he was talking.

Haiti’s leading opposition parties have for months said the time for dialogue is over.

Moïse also called for international support to tackle the developing humanitarian crisis, as 2 months of anti-government demonstrations exacerbate food insecurity in the Americas’ poorest nation.

The catalyst of mass protest

Last August, fuel shortages sparked protests that have transformed into a fierce campaign against Moïse that has shuttered businesses and schools and galvanized the political opposition.

Turnout has weakened over the last 2 weeks but the opposition has called for a nationwide protest on Monday, a bank holiday that commemorates a major battle of Haiti’s independence war.

Moïse said he started meeting “lots of people” behind closed doors a week and a half ago, rather than continuing to meet in public.

Two of the most prominent opposition leaders, Andre Michel and Moise Jean Charles, as well as the spokesman of the Episcopal Conference Father Loudeger Mazile, told reporters they were not participating in the conversations and did not know of any significant figure or group that was.

Filling the democratic vacuum

Haiti has not had a government since March as parliament is required to ratify the president’s choice of prime minister and the minority opposition has blocked such a vote from taking place.

The opposition accuses Moïse’s ruling alliance of seeking to replace the previous prime minister because he was too keen on investigating the embezzlement of Venezuelan aid funds that could have sullied its members, including the president himself. Moïse denies any wrongdoing.

The lack of a government in turn is preventing Haiti from accessing hundreds of millions of dollars in international aid funds as well as loans from the World Bank, Inter-American Bank and others earmarked for it.

Dictators’ legacy

The presidency is weak under Haiti’s current constitution as it was written in the wake of the dynastic dictatorships of Francois “Papa Doc” Duvalier and his son Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier.

On the economic front, Moïse said he hopes to implement stronger mechanisms to avoid tax and customs evasion to reduce the budget deficit. This could in turn help bring down inflation levels which currently stand at around 20 percent.