Haiti installed a new US-backed government that didn't include former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide's party despite the prime minister's pledge to include it.
Critics complained Prime Minister Gerard Latortue unfairly excluded Aristide's Lavalas Family party, the country's largest. Latortue had said that Lavalas would participate in a post-Aristide government.
The opposition Convergence coalition also was excluded.
"This is a government that is nonpartisan, and I invite everyone to judge it by its results," Latortue said Wednesday at a National Palace ceremony.
He promised fast action on organizing legislative elections and combatting corruption.
US Ambassador James Foley said "Latortue chose wisely" and that Haiti could expect significant US and international aid.
"I do think that the situation will stabilize, which is remarkable given the complete breakdown ... a virtual state of anarchy," he said.
Haiti has been in crisis since flawed 2000 legislative elections swept by Lavalas. Aristide fled on Feb. 29 as a three-week rebellion threatened Port-au-Prince. He arrived in Jamaica Monday to reunite with his daughters -- despite Latortue's protests that Aristide's proximity could stir unrest among his supporters in Haiti.
Aristide claims he was forced out under US pressure. Washington insists he resigned before the bloody insurrection led by a street gang and former army officers could engulf the capital.
Aristide and party leaders lost support as corruption flourished alongside poverty. They reacted by using police and militants to attack opponents.
Officials of the 15-member Caribbean Community said leaders would discuss whether to recognize Latortue's government at a summit on March 25. The economic bloc has demanded an international investigation into Aristide's claims he didn't resign.
The new defense minister, General Herard Abraham, told the AP that a Haitian army could help a multinational force disarm the population.
Abraham said a commission will study how to recreate the army -- a corrupt and brutal force before Aristide disbanded it in 1995.
"With the instability and the amount of guns that are spread around the country, we need a force that can proceed with disarmament," Abraham said.
Canada sent 170 more soldiers to Haiti on Wednesday, joining more than 2,600 US, French and Chilean troops.
The peacekeepers launched a nationwide disarmament campaign with a ceremony in the vast harbor-side slum of Cite Soleil -- an event marked by residents' demands that Aristide return.
Residents handed over more than 50 assault rifles, pistols and shotguns to a small convoy of French troops accompanied by Haitian police.
A new online voting system aimed at boosting turnout among the Philippines’ millions of overseas workers ahead of Monday’s mid-term elections has been marked by confusion and fears of disenfranchisement. Thousands of overseas Filipino workers have already cast their ballots in the race dominated by a bitter feud between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr and his impeached vice president, Sara Duterte. While official turnout figures are not yet publicly available, data from the Philippine Commission on Elections (COMELEC) showed that at least 134,000 of the 1.22 million registered overseas voters have signed up for the new online system, which opened on April 13. However,
ALLIES: Calling Putin his ‘old friend,’ Xi said Beijing stood alongside Russia ‘in the face of the international counter-current of unilateralism and hegemonic bullying’ Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) yesterday was in Moscow for a state visit ahead of the Kremlin’s grand Victory Day celebrations, as Ukraine accused Russia’s army of launching air strikes just hours into a supposed truce. More than 20 foreign leaders were in Russia to attend a vast military parade today marking 80 years since the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II, taking place three years into Russia’s offensive in Ukraine. Putin ordered troops into Ukraine in February 2022 and has marshaled the memory of Soviet victory against Nazi Germany to justify his campaign and rally society behind the offensive,
ENTERTAINMENT: Rio officials have a history of organizing massive concerts on Copacabana Beach, with Madonna’s show drawing about 1.6 million fans last year Lady Gaga on Saturday night gave a free concert in front of 2 million fans who poured onto Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro for the biggest show of her career. “Tonight, we’re making history... Thank you for making history with me,” Lady Gaga told a screaming crowd. The Mother Monster, as she is known, started the show at about 10:10pm local time with her 2011 song Bloody Mary. Cries of joy rose from the tightly packed fans who sang and danced shoulder-to-shoulder on the vast stretch of sand. Concert organizers said 2.1 million people attended the show. Lady Gaga
CONFLICTING REPORTS: Beijing said it was ‘not familiar with the matter’ when asked if Chinese jets were used in the conflict, after Pakistan’s foreign minister said they were The Pakistan Army yesterday said it shot down 25 Indian drones, a day after the worst violence between the nuclear-armed rivals in two decades. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif vowed to retaliate after India launched deadly missile strikes on Wednesday morning, escalating days of gunfire along their border. At least 45 deaths were reported from both sides following Wednesday’s violence, including children. Pakistan’s military said in a statement yesterday that it had “so far shot down 25 Israeli-made Harop drones” at multiple location across the country. “Last night, India showed another act of aggression by sending drones to multiple locations,” Pakistan military spokesman Ahmed
RSS