Haitian PM resigns over controversial fuel price hike

By Alix Hardy

MEXICO CITY

Haitian Prime Minister Jack Guy Lafontant resigned on Saturday after a week of turmoil over the government’s unpopular attempt to drastically raise fuel prices, which sparked unrest in the country.

Lafontant announced his resignation at a parliamentary session, during which the deputies were expected to rule whether to give the government a vote of confidence or not.

“I gave my resignation to the president and he accepted it,” he said in the house of Congress, cutting short to a potentially humiliating parliamentary vote.

Only minutes later, President Jovenel Moise confirmed in a tweet.

Chamber of Deputies Speaker Gary Bodeau, who had been advocating for his stepdown, said on Twitter he now expected the president to “pick a new Prime Minister of consensus, taking every sector of society’s aspirations into account.”

On Saturday, some people took to the streets of Port-au-Prince to ask for the president’s resignation.

Lafontant’s resignation puts an end to a week of social and political crisis. Troubles began after the government on Friday announced an abrupt increase of 38 percent to 51 percent in gasoline, diesel fuel kerosene prices to conform to rules orchestrated by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Haiti to boost the government’s revenue.

Although the Prime Minister backed down hours later, the announcement sparked protests and barricades spiked all over the capital Port-au-Prince for three days, with people repeatedly calling for his resignation.

Pressure built up during the week, with an increasing number of politicians, religious leaders and members of the private sector calling for him to quit.

On Thursday, the IMF suggested the revised fuel price reform should adopt a “much more progressive” approach. The institution also recalled the reform should contain “compensation measures for the more vulnerable”.