HAITI — Haiti President Jovenel Moise was assassinated at his home
early Wednesday morning by a group of armed individuals, interim Prime Minister
Claude Joseph announced.
اضافة اعلان
Joseph said he was now in charge of the country.
Moise's injured wife was in the hospital, according to
Joseph, who urged the public to remain calm, and insisted the police and army
would ensure the population's safety.
"The president was assassinated at his home by
foreigners who spoke English and Spanish," Joseph said.
Moise had been ruling Haiti, the poorest country in the
Americas, by decree, after legislative elections due in 2018 were delayed in
the wake of disputes, including on when his own term ends.
In addition to the political crisis, kidnappings for ransom
have surged in recent months, further reflecting the growing influence of armed
gangs in the Caribbean nation.
Haiti also faces chronic poverty and recurrent natural
disasters.
The president faced steep opposition from swathes of the
population that deemed his mandate illegitimate, and he churned through a
series of seven prime ministers in four year. Most recently, Joseph was
supposed to be replaced this week after only three months in the post.
In addition to presidential, legislative and local
elections, Haiti was due to have a constitutional referendum in September after
it was twice postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Supported by
Moise, the text of the constitutional reform,
aimed at strengthening the executive branch, has been overwhelmingly rejected
by the opposition and many civil society organizations.
The constitution currently in force was written in 1987
after the fall of the Duvalier dictatorship and declares that "any popular
consultation aimed at modifying the Constitution by referendum is formally
prohibited."
Critics had also claimed it was impossible to organizing a
poll, given the general insecurity in the country.
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