Prime Minister of Haiti, Laurent Lamothe announced early on Sunday that he was resigning along with several other ministers in the wake of violent anti-government protests and a commission’s call for him to step down. AP covers the story:
In a speech that was delayed past midnight, Lamothe said he was leaving “with a sense of accomplishment,” adding: “This country has undergone a deep and dynamic transformation and a real change in benefit of its people.”
President Michel Martelly said earlier he accepted the findings of the commission that had recommended Lamothe’s replacement.
Martelly appointed Lamothe as prime minister in 2012, and some political analysts believe Lamothe might seek the presidency in upcoming elections.
Lamothe’s resignation complicates the current political situation because nominations for a new prime minister require approval from Parliament and it is unclear whether someone would be nominated before Parliament is dissolves in January, said Michael Deibert, author of “Notes from the Last Testament: The Struggle for Haiti.”
He noted that Lamothe was Martelly’s third nomination for prime minister during a drawn-out selection process.
