PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — A transitional council tasked with bringing political stability to Haiti was installed Thursday in the capital of this Caribbean country, affected by gang violence and rising hunger and poverty.
The newly sworn-in council will name a new prime minister and a new cabinet, and create a roadmap to eventually hold the long-awaited general election. His term expires on February 7, 2026, when a new president would be sworn in.
The council is made up of eight men and one woman. Seven members have voting power.
Here’s a look at who they are:
Smith Agustin: former ambassador to the Dominican Republic, legal expert and sociologist. He is linked to the EDE/RED political party. He recently replaced former candidate Dominique Dupuy, UNESCO ambassador, who resigned following political attacks and death threats.
Dr. Louis Gérald Gilles — The former senator will be the representative of the signatories of the December agreement. 21 agreement within the council. That group is associated with outgoing Prime Minister Ariel Henry. Gilles is linked to the New United Orientation to Liberate Haiti party.
Fritz Alphonse Jean: economist and president of INHOPP (Haitian Institute of Public Policies). Former central bank governor and former interim prime minister. He has frequently traveled abroad seeking support from Haitian communities. He is affiliated with a civil society group known as the Montana Accord.
Edgard Leblanc Fils: Former president of the Senate of Haiti from 1995 to 2000. Fils finished second to Jocelerme Privert in the February 2016 indirect parliamentary presidential elections. He is general coordinator of the Organization of the People in Struggle. He represents the political group January 30.
Laurent Saint-Cyr: President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Haiti and CEO of the Alternative Insurance Company of Haiti.
Emmanuel Vertilaire: the judge of the Cap-Haïtien court is a specialist in criminology and the fight against corruption. He is linked to the Pitit Desalin political party and the National Peasant Network.
Leslie Voltaire: Veteran politician who was a member of the administrations of Jean-Bertrand Aristide and René Preval. Her influence dates back more than 30 years. She is a former Minister of Education and of Haitians Living Abroad. He himself ran for president in 2010, but later claimed the vote was rigged against him. He is linked to the Fanmi Lavalas party.
Régine Abraham: agronomist and cabinet director of the Ministry of the Environment. She ascended to the position after the resignation of René Jean-Jumeau due to his alleged involvement in the waste of PetroCaribe funds. She has worked for the World Bank and the European Union.
Frinel Joseph: The evangelical pastor stood out as treasurer of Haiti’s electoral council, representing the country’s religions. Four years later, in 2020, the Haitian Pastors Conference accused him of being too focused on his personal political goals on the council. He and seven other council members resigned due to local pressure. The pastor is also famous in his country for his lectures on spirituality.