The Presidential Transition Council was established with a rotating presidency, and Smith Augustin was on schedule to preside the Council starting 7 October 2024. Nevertheless, sectors within the Council now accuse him of corruption and he has been excluded from the rotating presidency.
From his statements in the past, Augustin has a very different view of the direction for Haiti to be set on a path to development than the incumbent Prime Minister Gary Conille. As ambassador to the Dominican Republic during the presidency of the late Jovenel Moise, he spearheaded a seven point checklist for joint efforts. Now, he is on the verge of being ousted.
While Smith Augustin and also Louis Gerald Gilles and Emmanuel Vertilaire would be not allowed to hold the presidency, a decree published on 7 October 2024 in the official Le Moniteur indicates that while they are in their positions, they would have a crucial participation in the decision taking in Haiti. The decree establishes that no resolution can be adopted without the acceptance of at least one of the three members investigated for corruption.
The new rotating presidency schedule named Leslie Voltaire to preside the CPT from 7 October 2024 to 7 March 2025. He will be followed by Fritz Alphonse Jean from 7 March to 7 August 2025, then Laurent Ssaint-Cyr, who will be last in the transition term from 7 August 2025 to 7 February 2026 by when elections should have been held to replace the Presidential Transition Council.
The media revealed that the reorganization follows the first presidency of Edgard Leblanc Fils who did not sign the decree impeding Smith Augustin, Louis Gerald Gilles and Emmanuel Vertilaire to occupy rotary presidential terms. The decree also ratifies that the dispositions contained in the resolution dated 7 March 2024 that regulates the taking of decisions in the council is maintained.
The decree reflects a careful consideration of the legal status of the involved advisors, noting that, to date, there is no final court ruling against them. “The presumption of innocence is a fundamental principle of law,” the document states, emphasizing the importance of fostering a “spirit of resilience” to maintain stability during the political transition.
Le Nouvelliste reports that Smith Augustin and Louis Gerald Gilles will be replaced. “Accused of corruption in the BNC scandal, Smith Augustin and Louis Gérald Gilles are on the verge of becoming former presidential advisors,” Le Nouvelliste reports. “The sectors that appointed them to the CPT are calling for their resignation and initiating talks to find their replacements. “It’s over for Smith Augustin. We have already asked him to resign. The EDE party has asked him to resign. Discussions to replace him are underway,” said one of the influential EDE leaders to Le Nouvelliste.
Le Nouvelliste also reports that one of the accused BNC scandal and Presidential Transition Council members Emmanuel Vertilaire has addressed and allegations and seeks legal recours. Five days after the publication of the Anti-Corruption Unit’s investigation report recommending legal action against three members of the Transitional Presidential Council, Emmanuel Vertilaire has taken the initiative to bring the matter before the Port-au-Prince Public Prosecutor’s Office.
In a 13-page petition, he challenges the conclusions of the ULCC’s investigation. According to Vertilaire, the report is based solely on personal observations and lacks credibility.
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15 October 2024