Haiti: Opposition parties announce new rounds of street protests in bid to force Moïse to resign

Opposition political parties say they will hold fresh demonstrations across Haiti today in their demands for the resignation of President Jovenel Moïse, even as the Government has started efforts to hold a national dialogue on the situation.

President Moïse has met with the former provisional president, Jocelerme Privert, as part of the initiative after his (Moïse’s) administration indicated that persons who have had the opportunity to serve the republic can, through their experiences, contribute to the search for adequate answers to the ongoing political situation.

The administration said it is convinced “another Haiti is really possible through a sincere dialogue between all the girls and all the sons of the common homeland”.

Moïse also met with the Apostolic Nuncio, Eugene Martin Nugent, with a view to finding a peaceful and democratic solution to the socio-economic and political problems of the French-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country.

Prior to the meetings, Moise also met with members of the “Economic Forum” with whom he exchanged views and pledged to make every effort to ensure that the dialogue can start as soon as possible.

Last weekend, Prime Minister Jean-Henry Céant announced a series of initiatives aimed at reducing the cost of living and providing employment for Haitians.

The prime minister said the administration will meet with international partners, the Bank of the Republic of Haiti, the Professional Association of Banks, insurance companies “to redo the Industrial Development Fund, for it can once again become a development bank to finance economic recovery and provide young people with access and credit”.

Opposition political parties have been staging street demonstrations in support of their calls for Moïse to step down, after accusing him of not investigating allegations of corruption in the previous government over PetroCaribe, an oil alliance of many Caribbean states with Venezuela to purchase oil on conditions of preferential payment.

They said this weekend’s demonstration will also call for a national conference to deal with the ongoing situation.

Meanwhile, some countries were reopening their embassies in Port-au -Prince, as a tense environment prevails in the Caribbean country.

The Bahamas, which closed its embassy on February 15, said that “following the required consultations, the diplomatic and consular staff of the Embassy of The Bahamas in Port-au-Prince have returned to the Haitian capital and have resumed their normal diplomatic functions and consular services”; while the consular section of the Mexican Embassy restored its service provisionally. -(CMC)