Haiti: Prime Minister Céant calls for truce ahead of Christmas celebrations

Haiti’s Prime Minister Jean Henry Céant has called for a truce to street demonstrations by opposition parties as the country prepares to celebrate the Christmas holidays.

“I appeal to the patriotism of all, to surpass ourselves, so as to offer the population a climate of lull to allow them to approach these feasts with more serenity,” Céant said.

Opposition parties have been staging street demonstrations in support of their calls for President Jovenel 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 condition of preferential payment.

In making his call for the truce, Prime Minister Céant said “our divergences, whatever their motivations and legitimacy may be, have basically very little weight against the harsh reality of our collective dismay.”

His statement follows a similar call made last week by 40 political parties closely associated with the government that adopted a joint declaration signed in Pétion-ville, a suburb in the capital, calling for a Christmas truce.

The parties said they hoped their call would contribute to creating a climate of peace and provide an opportunity for an environment where the talks with the various stakeholders could take place. -(CMC)