Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretary General Irwin LaRocque recently held talks with Haiti’s President Jovenel Moise pertaining to the latter’s pending role as CARICOM’s chairman. Moise becomes the next chairman of the 15-member regional integration movement in February next year.
A brief statement from CARICOM on Friday said that LaRocque met with Moise in Guyn on Thursday “to provide his usual briefing to the incoming chairman.”
Replaces Grenada’s prime minister
Moise will replace Grenada’s Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell following his six-month stint as chairman of the regional grouping under the rotation system.
Moise became head of state of Haiti in February 2017 after a long-running political crisis.
The 48-year-old banana exporter, who has never held political office, was the handpicked candidate of former president, Michel Martelly.
Moise initially won the first round of voting in October 2015 – but the results were subsequently annulled amid allegations of massive fraud. But he prevailed in the elections last November and vowed to stimulate the economy and create more jobs on taking up office.
Haiti also hosts CARICOM meeting in February 2018
The CARICOM website noted that Haiti will also host the 29th Inter-Sessional Meeting of CARICOM Heads of Government in February and representatives of the Haitian government and the Guyana-based CARICOM Secretariat “have started joint preparations for the meeting which is expected to further advance a number of critical issues for the Community”.
