Haiti appoints Jean Michel Lapin as interim Prime Minister

PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti, CMC – The Government Haiti on Thursday announced the appointment of Jean Michel Lapin as interim Prime Minister.

The Ministry of Communication in a message via social media on Thursday said Lapin was appointed until the formation of a new government. However, no date for when he assumes the role has been communicated.

On Monday, 93 deputies out of 103 voted in favor of removing Prime Minister Jean-Henry Ceant.  He has not yet left office, saying he was waiting for the final decision of the Senate.

Six months after he was sworn into office, the government of Prime Minister Jean-Henry Céant was forced out of office Monday after the Lower Chamber of Deputies voted overwhelming to remove him from office.

The move came as Prime Minister Céant had gone to the Senate for a meeting only to find 13 Senators present.

“The Government of Jean Henry Céant received a motion of censure from the Chamber of Deputies with 93 votes in favor, 6 against and 3 abstentions,” the Chamber of Deputies announced just after midday on Monday.

“It was illegal. It was unconstitutional,” said Deputy Sinal Betrand, who was among the six who voted against the government’s censure.

Political observers said that in the absence of a quorum in the Senate on Monday morning, Prime Minister Céant could not benefit from a six month stay by way of a vote of confidence.

Céant later told the Miami Herald newspaper “the decision is illegal and was outside of the constitution, It is unacceptable.”

He said that the justice system needs to shed light.

The Senate is trying to fight Céant’s ouster.

Céant and his 21-member cabinet will remain in office as caretakers until a new prime minister is named by President  Moïse.

Under Haitian law, a caretaker prime minister and government can only oversee the country’s day-to-day affairs, and cannot enter into any new contracts.