Haiti: Nortreus urges CARICOM to support existing agreement instead of new one

Several Haitian politicians were invited by CARICOM to a three-day meeting in Jamaica, where they discussed the situation in Haiti. A number of Haitian leaders took part and agreed to hear from other Caribbean leaders.

This meeting was turned down by Mrs. Mirlande Manigat, President of the High Transition Council, and other Haitian leaders in Haiti and the diaspora.

Leaders who attended the meeting labeled it a failure afterward because they were unable to come to a satisfactory agreement between all parties. Ariel Henry, the current Haitian Prime Minister, who took part, said in a speech that he wasn't there to reach a new agreement because there is already one.

Werley Nortreus, a Haitian politician, and others claimed on Thursday that CARICOM was wrong to propose a new agreement or plan for the nation during their meetings in Jamaica, as the nation already had an agreement in place that would establish constitutional reform, establish proper security, and organize free and fair general elections.

Nortreus noted that the international community and CARICOM want the Haitian Prime Minister, Ariel Henry, to hold general elections before establishing constitutional reform.

According to Nortreus, the majority of new politicians who have the ambition to run for high office will be excluded from the general election if there is no constitutional reform and proper security first.

Nortreus also said this action violated the existing agreement that was signed last year and dishonored Haitians and new candidates. He said the nation doesn't need multiple agreements at the same time at all. The nation should focus on one agreement, he said.

"I do not believe that Haiti needs more than one agreement at the same time. It is better if Haitians focus on the agreement signed in December 2022. General elections without constitutional reform will exclude the majority of new candidates. Haitians prefer the existing plan, where there will be constitutional reform, security, and elections. I think that CARICOM should not propose a new agreement while there is already one. I prefer that CARICOM offer its support for the existing agreement rather than proposing a new one", said Haitian politician Werley Nortreus and founder of Jeunes Dirigeants Haïtiens Progressistes.

According to several sources, the Haitian government plans to organize a constitutional reform, establish proper security, and organize free and fair general elections soon, but there is no fixed date for this.