By Jean Junior Celestin, Rezo Nodwes, Feb. 3, 2023
“The December 21 Accord is far from complying with the requirements of any political agreement which is to improve a political, military or social situation”, Liné St-Fort Balthazar, President of the PHTK, said on Magik 9 last Friday. “Since the signing of the December 21 Accord, the country has sunk deeper into crisis, whether politically, economically or security-wise. Based on this observation, we cannot support this Accord as a tool for change, ” he said.
The bad political decisions taken by the head of government, long before the signing of the December 21 Accord, are the basis of the disagreement between the PHTK and Ariel Henry.
Balthazar does not specifically mention conflict, instead emphasizing opposition to decisions. “PHTK and Balthazar are not in conflict with Ariel Henry. However, we have differences and oppositions to political decisions that he has taken or that he has not taken. It is the accumulation of nineteen months of bad decisions that puts the country in a situation of ungovernability, "says Balthazar. He recalled that the PHTK actively participated in the appointment of Prime Minister Ariel Henry.
"PHTK and Liné Balthazar can no longer continue to be associated with a set of political decisions that are leading the country straight towards disaster", he added, arguing that the events of Thursday, January 26 are indicators of the bad governance and put state institutions in danger.
“The Haitian house is on fire, the Haitian family is in danger. The Haitian people say a big thank you for the buckets of water that you kindly brought to try to put out these devastating flames. But we need fire trucks, equipped with high-pressure hoses and supplied by abundant fire hydrants to finally put an end to these flames,” said Mr. Balthazar, citing the words of Léon Charles. The former director of the National Police of Haiti is the current ambassador of Haiti to the OAS during a meeting of the Permanent Council of the hemispheric organization, Wednesday, February 1, 2023.
Further, Balthazar indicated that the disagreement of the PHTK with the political decisions of Prime Minister Henry began long before the decision of the United States and the Canadian government to sanction members of the Haitian political elite. “We were the first to declare that the September 11 Accord was null and void and that the government had to find another agreement with the political and social forces for a new legitimacy”, Balthazar recalled.
Balthazar believes the political future of the Prime Minister depends only on him. “Ariel Henry has all the political cards in hand. He has a political Accord and international support, but it lacks political legitimacy".
Balthazar also announced that the PHTK and other political forces will not participate in the elections announced by the Prime Minister. for the end of 2023.
Translated by CHIP editors
Posted Feb. 10, 2023