Haiti’s Lamothe: Cabinet Shake-Up Aimed at “Reframing Government Action”

Above: Haiti PM Laurent Lamothe (Photo: OPM Haiti)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

The recent reassignment and replacement of several cabinet ministers in Haiti was intended “solely to reframe government action” and “seek a new synergy,” according to Haiti Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe.

The PM was speaking at a ceremony introducing Haiti’s new ministers, who were announced in a statement Monday night.

Lamothe expressed his appreciation for the work done by the outgoing ministers, headlined by former Interior Minister Thierry Mayard-Paul. He said they had “done their duties with professionalism.”

The Prime Minister, who said the decision had been taken together with Haiti President Michel Martelly, appealed to the “patriotism” of the new ministers “to enable them to effectively carry out their new functions” in relation to the administration’s priorities.

He said the “balance sheet” of his first 100 days as Prime Minister had necessitated the reshuffle.

In the reshuffling, two cabinet ministers, Ronsard St Cyr and Josefa Gauthier, were reassigned to different portfolios.

Three others were new appointees.

Lamothe, who had been serving as foreign ministers since being appointed as Haiti’s Premier (the post in which he had previously been serving), instead took on the Planning and External Cooperation portfolio.