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Amid Perceived Power Vacuum, Dozens Vie to be Haiti's Leader

Associated Press

   PORT-AU-PRINCE - As the public appearances of President Jovenel Moise
   fade with Haiti's deepening political turmoil, dozens of people from
   political parties old and new are vying to become the country's next
   leader as they seize on widespread discontent.
   They range from a wealthy businessman with no political experience who
   owns a chain of grocery stores to veteran opposition leaders trying to
   gain a stronger foothold in Haiti's politics.
   Moise still has more than two years left in his term after taking
   office in February 2017 and says he will not step down, but protesters
   seeking his resignation vow to continue with violent demonstrations
   that have shuttered businesses and kept 2 million children from going
   to school for nearly a month. Nearly 20 people have died and about 200
   injured in protests fueled by anger over corruption, rising inflation
   and scarcity of basic goods including fuel.
   "It's a completely dysfunctional country," said Benzico Pierre with the
   Center for the Promotion of Democracy and Participatory Education, a
   Haitian think tank. "There's no trust in the institutions."
   It's a concern that Carl Murat Cantave, president of Haiti's Senate,
   acknowledged in a speech televised Tuesday as he warned that Haiti's
   crisis is "rotting."
   He urged Moise to launch a dialogue and said all options should be
   placed on the table.
   "The country needs a genuine re-engineering so it can move forward
   because everyone is failing as a leader," he said in Creole. "Only the
   people right now have legitimacy."
   Hours after Cantave's speech, Moise's office issued a statement saying
   he has named seven people charged with leading discussions to find a
   solution to help end the crisis. Among them is former prime minister
   Evans Paul, who recently told The Associated Press that he believes
   Moise has several options, including nominating an opposition-backed
   prime minister and shortening his mandate.

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