Senators Ed Markey of Massachusetts and Reverend Raphael Warnock of the state of Georgia have denounced the de facto Prime Minister Ariel Henry’s desire to remain in power beyond the expiration date of the December 21 agreement that he had signed with his allies.
In a joint statement published this Wednesday, Ed Markey and Raphael Warnock express their dismay that Mr. Henry is trying to “[escape] a democratic and peaceful transition of power despite having signed the December 21, 2022 agreement, aiming to guarantee free, fair, and transparent general elections in Haiti,” recalling that this Wednesday, February 7, 2024, “was the deadline for the inauguration of a new government.”
“Today should have marked a democratic transition of power in a free, fair, and transparent election in Haiti, but Acting Prime Minister Henry has once again failed to uphold his commitment to an inclusive and peaceful transition of power,” said Senator Markey, who denounces Ariel Henry’s attempts to avoid a peaceful and democratic transition of power.
For Ed Markey and Raphael Warnock, it is urgent that the de facto Prime Minister takes measures to “ensure that Haiti experiences a democratic and peaceful transition.”
The two lawmakers also urged the US government and the international community to support the Haitian people in holding democratic elections as soon as possible to facilitate the strengthening of Haitian institutions.
This is the second statement in less than 2 months from American senators on the Haitian crisis.
Last December, these two lawmakers and other members of the Senate sent a letter to President Joe Biden demanding that measures be taken to address the Haitian crisis.
Discussions are ongoing at the highest levels of the US State Department on the situation in Haiti.
The US Department of State has not ruled out the possibility of demanding Ariel Henry’s departure, according to combined sources. Information that CTN team has not independently verified.
We have attempted to contact the State Department regarding the accuracy of this information, but we have not yet received a formal response.