Democratic and Popular Sector leader André Michel has denounced the hypocrisy and wasteful spending of the Presidential Transitional College (CPT), which plans to spend over 300 million gourdes on the upcoming Flag Day celebration scheduled for May 18.
As a political leader and signatory of the December 21 agreement – which has a representative in the CPT – Michel strongly criticizes the planned expenditure for this national event. He states that the CPT, led by Fritz Alphonse Jean, intends to allocate between 300 and 400 million gourdes for the festivities. The lawyer considers this amount indecent, especially given the national context marked by insecurity, institutional instability, and growing poverty.
In his statement, Michel recalls that in 2023, Dr. Ariel Henry’s government was criticized for spending 90 million gourdes on the same celebration. He points out that one of the most vocal critics of this expenditure was none other than Fritz Jean, then the elected president of the Montana accord. “History has a way of coming full circle,” Michel says ironically, highlighting the glaring inconsistency between yesterday’s criticism and today’s decisions.
For Michel, this budget is particularly shocking as the country faces an unprecedented security crisis. “Armed gangs control 90% of the capital,” he writes, adding that “more than 1.4 million people are displaced” and “our law enforcement, lacking everything, works in extremely precarious conditions.” In his view, these expenses represent “irresponsible luxury” in a distressed country where institutions struggle to meet the population’s basic needs.
The lawyer goes further by stating that he’s beginning to understand the true motivations of those who, according to him, helped overthrow Ariel Henry’s government. He accuses CPT members of conspiring with what he describes as the “criminal and terrorist coalition VIV ANSANM” to seize power. “They needed to come steal!” he declares bluntly, expressing the extent of his outrage.
This stance comes as public opinion grows increasingly skeptical about the CPT’s effectiveness and legitimacy. The announcement of such expenditure during an acute crisis risks further fueling an atmosphere of distrust. “The train of historical decantation is well and truly in motion!” concludes Michel, not without contradiction, given that he hadn’t raised a finger to denounce these same practices under Ariel Henry’s government barely a year ago.
