Haiti’s transitional presidential council, the brainchild of U.S.Secretary of State Tony Blinken, which was supposed to pave the way to “democratic elections in 2025” with the help of a provisional electoral council, is in total disarray. Infighting, corruption charges, and the refusal of members to work with each other, or with Prime Minister Garry Conille, are just a few of the problems plaguing the council. Conille is in a standoff with the other council members, because he refuses to fire his Foreign Minister Dominique Dupuy, as they demand.
The group is so dysfunctional that the State Department had to send a delegation of six to the country on Oct. 16 to straighten the mess out. The high-level group was led by U.S. Deputy National Security Advsor John Finer; NSC Senior Director for Western Hemisphere Affairs Daniel Erikson; and Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Brian Nichols, among others. The delegation, which met with councilmembers and other government, police and security officials, reportedly lectured council members to act like adults, and put country first, above party and petty factional issues, reported the Miami Herald Oct. 16.
