Haitian parliament to meet to ratify policy of new government

Prime Minister Jean Henry Céant will deliver his new government’s general policy statement to Parliament on Wednesday after President Jovenel Moise issued a decree allowing for the sitting of the extraordinary session of the legislative body.
The decree, published in the official journal “Le Moniteur”, states that “this special session will be devoted to the ratification of the Prime Minister’s General Policy Statement” and “will last until exhaustion of the subject of this convocation”.
The move comes on day after the ordinary session of the legislative year ended and Prime Minister Céant is reported to have withdrawn a verbal threat to resign after opposition legislators had called on him to re-appoint the outgoing planning minister in return for their support.
Last week, Haiti unveiled its new government, two months after prime minister Jack Guy Lafontant, resigned following days of violent protests against fuel price rises.
Ceant, 61, is a notary who ran unsuccessfully for president in 2010 and 2016. He was named to the post on August 5 but in a sign of discord between the legislative and presidential branches it took a month to reach agreement on his 18-member cabinet.
Six members retained their jobs from the previous cabinet.