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<\/a><\/p>\nPublished On 7 Feb 20267 Feb 2026<\/p>\n
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Haiti\u2019s Transitional Presidential Council has handed power to US-backed Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime after almost two years of tumultuous governance marked by rampant gang violence that has left thousands dead.<\/p>\n
The transfer of power between the nine-member transitional council and 54-year-old businessman Fils-Aime took place on Saturday under tight security, given Haiti\u2019s unstable political climate.<\/p>\n
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\u201cMr Prime Minister, in this historic moment, I know that you are gauging the depth of the responsibility you are taking on for the country,\u201d council President Laurent Saint-Cyr told Fils-Aime, who is now the country\u2019s only politician with executive power.<\/p>\n
In late January, several members of the council said they were\u00a0seeking to remove\u00a0Fils-Aime<\/a>, leading the United States to announce visa revocations<\/a> for four unidentified council members and a cabinet minister.<\/p>\n Days before the council was dissolved, the US deployed a warship and two US coastguard boats to waters near Haiti\u2019s capital, Port-au-Prince, where gangs control 90 percent of the territory.<\/p>\n US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stressed \u201cthe importance\u201d of\u00a0Fils-Aime\u2019s continued tenure \u201cto combat terrorist gangs and stabilise the island\u201d.<\/p>\n The council\u2019s plan to oust Fils-Aime for reasons not made public appeared to fall to the wayside as it stepped down in an official ceremony on Saturday.<\/p>\n Fils-Aime now faces the daunting task of organising the first general elections in a decade.<\/p>\n Election this year unlikely<\/p>\n The Transitional Presidential Council was established in 2024 as the country\u2019s top executive body, a response to a political crisis stretching back to the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moise.<\/p>\n It quickly devolved into infighting, questions over its membership, and allegations of corruption falling overwhelmingly short of its mission to quell gang violence and improve life for Haitians.<\/p>\n Just six months after being formed, the body removed Prime Minister Garry Conille, selecting Fils-Aime as his replacement.<\/p>\n Despite being tasked with developing a framework for federal elections, the council ended up postponing a planned series of votes that would have selected a new president by February.<\/p>\n Tentative dates were announced for August and December, but many believe it is unlikely an election and a run-off will be held this year.<\/p>\n Last year, gangs killed nearly 6,000 people in Haiti, according to the United Nations. About 1.4 million people, or 10 percent of the population, have been displaced by the violence.<\/p>\n