Haitian transition council replaces prime minister

Council members on Sunday reportedly fired interim Prime Minister Garry Conille and replaced him with businessman Alix Didier Fils-Aim, according to leaked documents circulating online.

Eight of the nine council members signed an executive order that was set to be published Monday, according to news outlets such as Miami Herald, The Associated Press, and French wire service AFP. Haiti’s Transitional Presidential Council appointed Conille to the position in May, one month after former Prime Minister Ariel Henry resigned from the position. Local media report the council has been plagued by political infighting and some members have been at odds with Conille for months.

Who is Conille? The former prime minister is the regional director of UNICEF for Latin America and the Caribbean and has worked with the United Nations for years. Prior to his May appointment, he first became prime minister in late 2011 but resigned four months later following tensions with then-President Michel Martelly.

In a letter published Sunday, Conille denounced the resolution to remove him and said the council’s decision was unconstitutional. He called the move an abuse of power and said only parliament has the authority to remove him.

Who is Fils-Aimé? The businessman is the former president of Haiti’s Chamber of Commerce. The council considered him a candidate for prime minister before they appointed Conille.

What is Haiti’s Transitional Presidential Council? Haitian lawmakers formed the council in April to choose Haiti’s prime minister and cabinet. The council will exercise the powers of the president until a president is elected and inaugurated or until Feb. 7, 2026, whichever comes first. The Haitian Unit for Combating Corruption in October accused three council members of demanding hundreds of thousands of dollars from the director of the government-owned National Bank of Credit to secure his job.

Dig deeper: Read Travis K. Kircher’s report on the experience of an American missionary evangelizing amid Haiti’s descent into chaos.