Updated 04:21 AM EDT, Tue, Mar 19, 2024

Haiti Legislators Appoint New Interim President

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Haiti chose former Senate leader Jocelerme Privert as its provisional president a week after President Michel Martelly stepped down from office.

According to BBC News, the members of the parliament chose Privert during a 'marathon session' to take Martelly's place and prevent the country from going into irreversible chaos.

In a report from the Associated Press as posted by the New York Times, the former parliament leader will remain the provisional president for four months as the Caribbean country organizes an election set for April 24 to select a new president.

After the polls, the newly-elected president will officially take the highest seat in the land on May 14.

However, many do not expect a peaceful turnover considering the country's election history that has always been stained with protests, violence and controversies and vote-rigging accusations in particular.

Martelly became Haiti's president a year after the devastating 2010 earthquake and remained in office until last week.

Like other elections in the country, Martelly's run for the presidency did not go smoothly as only a few took his candidacy seriously because he was known for his outlandish performances.

During his administration, the performer-turned-politician promised to hasten the restoration of the country's facilities following the catastrophic quake, something that earned him the chance to become the most powerful man in the land.

According to Britannica, he also vowed to work for the improvement of public education in Haiti where he established a fund that would provide Haitian children with free primary education.

However, his reign started to go downhill when he ruled by decree after failing to come to an agreement with the parliament before most of the lawmakers' term ended in January 2015.

This earned him criticism, especially after several of his associates and staff members were accused of severe crimes, including rape and murder.

The candidate he supported during the October 2015 elections was also associated with controversies involving Martelly as fraud accusations surfaced, questioning why a businessman whose background is not well-known to the public won the polls.

After witnessing several protests, Martelly finally gave way for the parliament to install an interim president when he officially stepped down from his presidency on February 7, 2016.

Privert already took oath as the provisional president of Haiti, promising that he will make sure the new elections are conducted "as soon as possible."

Privert was sworn by Haiti's bicameral legislature and is expected to confirm a consensus prime minister during his term that only lasts 120 days.

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