Former Prime Minister Jean Henry Céant
Port-au-Prince, 16 January 2026.- Guest of Magik 9 this Friday, former Prime Minister Jean Henry Céant believes that upon the expiry of the term of office of the Transitional Presidential Council (TPC), power must be returned to the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers, in accordance with the Constitution. He called for the avoidance of any institutional vacuum and urged the head of government to convene the country's forces in order to find a consensus formula capable of leading the transition to credible elections.
Jean Henry Céant wants to be categorical: the exit from crisis cannot be achieved in improvisation or in the creation of new parallel structures. In his view, if the CPT proves to be dysfunctional or expires without a formal extension of mandate or the appointment of a successor, the Constitution clearly provides for the continuity of the State.
On the basis of article 149 of the Constitution as well as the decree of April establishing the CPT, Céant argues that, in the event of a blocking or termination of the mandate of the Presidential Council, the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers are responsible for the management of power. He warns against any attempt at excessive concentration of powers, recalling that the Haitian experience has already demonstrated the abuses and failures of such practices.
As February 7, a symbolic date in Haitian political history, Jean Henry Céant states that power will de facto fall into the hands of Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé and his government. For the former leader of the Primature, this stage imposes a heavy responsibility: to show leadership and to open an inclusive dialogue with political parties, civil society, moral authorities and the press.
In his view, the objective is not to reproduce Ariel Henry's scheme, but to temporarily assume a de facto situation to better get out of it from the top. He stressed the need to build a national consensus around the best possible transition formula, whether it was a single personality, a small college or any other credible and democratic configuration.
Jean Henry Céant also warns about the risks of elections organised without confidence or consensus. Without prior agreement on the rules of the game and the actors responsible for leading the process, the country would, according to him, expose itself to a new post-election crisis, prolonging instability for several years.
Criticism towards multiples « Forms » In recent months, the former Prime Minister recalls that the country has already lost almost two years without tangible results. For him, no actor, including the CPT, today has the moral or political legitimacy to claim a retention of power. The only credible path remains respect for constitutional provisions and genuine national dialogue.
In conclusion, Jean Henry Céant calls on leaders to exceed group interests and to place Haiti above political calculations. « The priority is stability and national salvation. The political competition will come after », he hammered, pleading for a collective awareness and a shared vision in order to bring the country out of the crisis.
W.A.
