Transitional Presidential Council facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Transitional Presidential Council |
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Presidential standard of Haiti
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| Seat | National Palace |
| Appointer | Ariel Henry |
| Term length | Until 7 February 2026
(maximum term)
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| Constituting instrument | Decree of Special Issue No. 14, Volume 179 ("Décret Portant Création du Conseil Présidentiel de Transition") |
| Precursor | President of Haiti |
The Transitional Presidential Council (TPC) (French: Conseil présidentiel de transition) is a collegial head of state constituted on 12 April 2024 to exercise the powers and duties of President of Haiti until new elections for that office can be held and a winner inaugurated, or until 7 February 2026, whichever occurs first.
Under the terms of the enabling decree, the council is to have nine members, two of whom will be non-voting. On 25 April 2024 Haiti's Prime Minister Ariel Henry resigned and the TCP has taken over.
Background
The gradual disintegration of Haitian state institutions during the Haitian crisis led to calls for Henry to step aside and surrender the de facto head of state functions. The demands were led by Jimmy "Barbecue" Chérizier, a former police officer who heads an extralegal armed group in Haiti. On 11 March 2024 Henry announced that he would resign and that a transitional council (whose membership would be determined in Jamaica at an emergency CARICOM meeting) would select an interim prime minister.
On 3 April 2024, the transitional presidential council set up at the Caricom meeting on 11 March had finalized its provisional list of representatives, who were appointed by the Council of Ministers on 16 April.
| Member | Party | Member | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edgard Leblanc Fils | 30 January Collective | Smith Augustin | EDE-RED-Historic Compromise | |
| Fritz Alphonse Jean | Montana Accord | Leslie Voltaire | Fanmi Lavalas | |
| Laurent St Cyr | Private Sector | Louis Gérald Gilles | 21 December Agreement | |
| Emmanuel Vertilaire | Pitit Desalin |
Added to these seven members are two observers (Frinel Joseph and Régine Abraham).
After weeks of negotiation, a deal was sent to CARICOM on 7 April for a temporary government whose mandate will end on 7 February 2026. One of the council's tasks is to elect a prime minister, who cannot already be a member of the transitional council or the provisional government. The transitional council was officially created by a governmental decree published in Le Moniteur on 12 April 2024. The names of the representatives of the seven parties were published on 16 April 2024.
Authority and mandate
Under the terms of the decree of 12 April, the Transitional Presidential Council will exercise functions of the office of president until such time as a new president is elected and inaugurated. Its mandate to act concludes on 7 February 2026. The TPC's authority extends to the appointment of a prime minister and government and Henry has agreed to resign from the office of prime minister at such time as the TPC designates someone else to hold the office.
Composition
Under the terms of the decree of 12 April 2024, the Transitional Presidential Council consists of seven voting and two non-voting members. The voting members include one representative from each of four political party coalitions (Accord du 30 aout 2021, Accord du 21 décembre 2022, Collectif des Partis politiques, and Compromis Historique/RED/EDE), two political parties (Fanmi Lavalas and Platfòm Pitit Desalin), and "the private sector". The non-voting members include one representative from civil society and one representative from "the interfaith community". On 16 April, the Primature confirmed the appointment of the nine members nominated by the Transitional Presidential Council in Kingston.
Qualifications
Members of the TPC must meet the requirements for holding the office of president as established under Article 135 of the Constitution of Haiti and are disqualified from standing for the presidency in the next election. Differences introduced in the decree include that individuals are ineligible for appointment to the Council if they have been sanctioned by the United Nations, if they are under criminal indictment or have been found guilty of a crime in any jurisdiction, or if they oppose the introduction of the Multinational Security Support Mission in Haiti. Similarly, the government added in article 5 that all members must pursue the accelerated deployment of the international security force.
See also
In Spanish: Consejo Presidencial de Transición para niños
- National Council of Government (Uruguay) – former collegial executive of Uruguay
