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February 8, 2016

Haitian President Leaves Office Without Successor Amid Protests
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Haitian President Michel Martelly has left office at the end of his
five-year term without a successor in place, following mass protests
demanding his ouster. The United States has been criticized for
supporting Haiti's disputed October elections, where the president's
handpicked successor, Jovenel Moïse, came in first out of more than 50
candidates, despite being virtually unknown. Last month, mass protests
succeeded in postponing a scheduled runoff where Moïse was the only
candidate-after his competitor, Jude Célestin, refused to take part.
Martelly left office Sunday following a deal to have Parliament choose
an interim president ahead of elections scheduled for April. His
departure came on the 30th anniversary of the departure of Haitian
dictator Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier, who was flown into exile
aboard a U.S. government jet after a popular uprising.


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