The Tribune

President Michel Martelly made his farewell speech to Haiti as he departed office yesterday with no successor yet chosen because a runoff election was scrapped last month amid violent protests and deep suspicions about vote rigging.

In a nearly 20-minute speech before a joint session of Parliament, Mr Martelly said his “biggest regret is that the presidential election was postponed”. Addressing the Haitian people, he said he worked “night and day” to improve the country and was “ready to answer before the court of history”.

Mr Martelly, who took office in May 2011, is departing on what was scheduled as the first day of Port-au-Prince’s annual three-day Carnival celebration. However, authorities called off yesterday’s festivities because of a tense atmosphere amid the political uncertainty.

Lawmakers are beginning a process to patch together a short-term interim government to smooth political divisions and fill the void left by Mr Martelly’s departure. Prime Minister Evans Paul remains in office for now, awaiting a provisional president to be chosen by Parliament in the coming days.

Haiti last created a transitional government in 2004. That interim administration, which lasted for two years, took power in the chaotic days after President Jean Bertrand-Aristide was ousted by a rebellion and a United Nations peacekeeping force came to stabilise the country.

This time, with quarrelling political factions throwing Haiti into an electoral and constitutional crisis, a last-minute deal was forged by Mr Martelly and lawmakers less than 24 hours before his scheduled departure from office. A special mission from the 35-nation Organisation of American States (OAS) was in Haiti to observe last week’s negotiations and help foster dialogue.

The deal announced on Saturday says an interim government will rule until an elected leader for a five-year term can take office on May 14. The twice postponed presidential and legislative runoff is rescheduled for April 24. Mr Martelly expressed satisfaction with the agreement, saying lawmakers “gave me a guarantee that the country is going to be stable and I can leave office in peace”.

He handed over his presidential sash after his address and embraced many of the 23 senators and 86 deputies in the National Assembly. The senators wore black suits and hats while the deputies wore white. Seven legislators were absent.

Senate President Jocelerme Privert said Parliament will accept nominations for a provisional president over the next five days. Legislators are expected to vote for a leader of the caretaker government a couple of days after the nomination period ends.

Some opposition lawmakers disagree with the accord reached by Mr Martelly and legislators, but Mr Privert said they will have to accept the majority’s decision. “This is the democratic way,” he said.

In a statement, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged Haitian authorities to implement the accord “in order to ensure the democratic transfer of power to elected officials.” About 100 government supporters gathered outside Parliament wearing pink T-shirts emblazoned with the words: “I am Martelly.” Pink is the colour of his Tet Kale political faction. The outgoing president greeted his supporters and waved from a car before his convoy sped off. It was not immediately clear what his immediate plans were.

The pop star-turned-president repeatedly said he wanted to depart office singing on a Carnival float under his pop singer stage name, ‘Sweet Micky’. But another anti-government protest disrupted life in downtown Port-au-Prince yesterday and some Carnival stands were destroyed.

Sir Ronald Sanders, the special OAS mission leader, said the interim president will be elected by Parliament for a term of up to 120 days. The caretaker government will ensure a new Provisional Electoral Council is in place to conclude an election cycle that began last year.

“The country now has an opportunity for a fresh start,” Sir Ronald said, adding that Parliament would invite nominations for an interim president soon. The Antigua dipolomat said the deal was signed following “very animated” and occasionally heated negotiations on Friday between Mr Martelly, the two leaders of Haiti’s bicameral legislature and numerous lawmakers. Sir Ronald, who is chairman of the OAS’ permanent council, said Mr Martelly remained “cool throughout the process”.

The special OAS mission had been observing negotiations to resolve a standoff over a disputed round of voting in October that led officials to suspend a runoff election that had been scheduled for January 24. Some opposition figures have repeatedly said Mr Martelly could not be part of the process, but Sir Ronald, who stressed he was a witness and not a participant in the talks, said the deal was reached by elected officials who have the authority to do so.

“I don’t think that anybody could say that it was a cooked-up agreement because it was done by people who didn’t have the right or the authority to do it,” he said. “Indeed, there are no other two sets of entities in this country that could have signed a legitimate agreement.”

Diplomats from the various foreign powers who monitor Haiti gathered at the National Palace to witness the signing ceremony. US Ambassador Peter Mulrean welcomed the accord, saying it offered a “clear path ahead” and that Haiti’s various political parties have committed to it.

OAS officials held more than 25 meetings since they arrived on January 31, but never talked with opposition presidential candidate Jude Celestin despite numerous invitations to meet him. Sir Ronald said the OAS, however, did meet with other members of his opposition alliance.

Mr Celestin was boycotting the scheduled January 24 runoff despite official returns that showed him coming in second and winning a spot in the runoff against Mr Martelly’s preferred successor, Jovenel Moise.

“We wish the stakeholders every success as we encourage them to implement the formula for going forward,” Sir Ronald said. “The situation in Haiti is exceptional and it required exceptional solutions. We are pleased that the stakeholders have all committed themselves to democracy, peace and stability, amid a Constitutional vacuum created by the absence of an elected President to replace Mr Martelly.

“My delegation is satisfied that while we were in Haiti to garner an appreciation of the views of as many stakeholders as possible, our presence had a beneficial effect on the search for a consensus formula by the various groups. We were also able to address and clarify misconceptions and misleading information about the role that the OAS plays in Haiti.”

In an interview with The Miami Herald during the week, Sir Ronald conceded negotiations had not been easy and that “every day, the goal posts seem to change. There is a different story about what settlement they’re going to reach, as to how they go forward after February 7,” he said. “It’s been a volatile situation. What I am pleased about is that it is they who are finding the solution. They are working together, desperately trying to get to a solution and that is the best thing that can happen. It is not a solution that anyone imposes on them; it is one that they devised, formulate, and it will be up to them to implement it.”

A poll released on Wednesday by the Brazil-based Igarape Institute, an independent research group, says despite deep voter disenchantment, most Haitians would vote if they had confidence that elections were fair. The poll was conducted prior to the scheduled January 24 runoff and surveyed 1,766 randomly chosen adults across Haiti.

• Sir Ronald Sanders writes the World View column in The Tribune on Mondays but because of his role in Haiti this week was not able to contribute as usual. His previous commentaries can be found at www.sirronaldsanders.com