Opinion | A Chance for Hope in Haiti’s Latest Crisis
New York TimesMar 13
Haiti's Transition Council Picks New Prime Minister
Image copyright: Mark Wilson/Staff/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
The nine-member Transitional Presidential Council of Haiti on Tuesday selected former prime minister Garry Conille to return to that post in the midst of gang violence that has sparked a political and humanitarian crisis since February.
Conille, who has 25 years of experience at the UN and the Red Cross, last served as the regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean at UNICEF. He also served for four months as Haiti's prime minister in 2011.
The Spin
Establishment-critical narrative
The world community must support democracy, let Haiti chart its own path, and allow the council to govern. When the outside world, particularly the US, intervenes, Haiti has a history of being ruled by corrupt individuals. Hopefully, an independent and strong Haiti can emerge from this turmoil.
Pro-establishment narrative
Haiti needs US support on the ground because the government is outmanned and outgunned by violent criminal gangs, making a Haiti-led recovery a pipe dream. Famine, death, and a refugee crisis are looming if the hemisphere's superpower doesn't restore order and back the transitional government, buying time for UN security forces.