Haiti: The CPT Undermined by Internal Quarrels and 'Controversial' Diplomatic Appointments
By Wideberlin SENEXANT · Port-au-Prince
· 3 min read · Updated 24 April 2026
Translated from French — AI-assisted and reviewed by the editorial team. The French version is authoritative. Read the original · About our translation policy
As the country goes through a critical period, the Transitional Presidential Council (CPT) seems paralyzed by internal tensions and an avalanche of contested diplomatic appointments. In an exclusive interview with Le Nouvelliste, Fritz Alphonse Jean, coordinator of the CPT, who has only held two Council of Ministers meetings since his ascent on March 7, 2025, reveals "having refused hundreds of appointments," denouncing a clientelist system and an overloaded diplomatic service.
A Council Paralyzed by Clan Struggles
Since its establishment in April 2024, the Transitional Presidential Council (CPT), intended to guide Haiti back to stability, seems to struggle to function effectively. Between a security crisis and governance in disarray, the Haitian people are the true victims.
According to Fritz Alphonse Jean, in an interview with Le Nouvelliste, the fact that few Council of Ministers meetings have been held is not a matter of technical incapacity. He states that he deliberately slowed down Council meetings to avoid legitimizing a system of abusive appointments:
"The Council of Ministers should not be used to appoint incompetent general directors," he declared. Still according to his statements to Le Nouvelliste, the CPT coordinator claims to have vetoed hundreds of proposed diplomatic appointments. He denounces a clientelist network orchestrated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "Dozens of people have been appointed to embassies that can only accommodate 10 or 15. Staff now work there on a rotational basis," he criticized, believing that these practices severely tarnish the country's international image. A Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the Heart of Criticism In the same interview with Le Nouvelliste, Fritz Alphonse Jean states that he has repeatedly said no to these excessive appointments, but that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reportedly bypassed his objections. He refers to decisions made "without consultation," which undermine the country's diplomatic balance. Minister Harvel Jean-Baptiste did not respond to Le Nouvelliste's calls to react to these accusations. However, according to information gathered by the newspaper, several influential members of the CPT, including councilors Louis Gérald Gilles and Smith Augustin, as well as Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, reportedly referred more than 90% of the appointed individuals themselves. A presidential advisor, interviewed anonymously, confirmed this information while specifying: "I am not too well versed in the subject." As for Smith Augustin, he refused to comment on anonymous accusations. A Council Divided into Four Clans According to a source within the CPT cited by Le Nouvelliste, the Council is now fragmented into four blocs with divergent logics: Group 1, described as the majority, primarily includes the 3 members who were implicated in the BNC corruption scandal: Louis Gérald Gilles, Smith Augustin, Emmanuel Vertilaire, Laurent Saint-Cyr, as well as Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé; Group 2 consists of Fritz Alphonse Jean himself, allied with Leslie Voltaire; Group 3 has only one member, Edgard Leblanc Fils, described as a "qualitative minority"; Group 4 consists of the two observers, without direct decision-making power. This clanic configuration, revealed in the columns of Le Nouvelliste, severely complicates decision-making and the regular organization of Council of Ministers meetings. "For decisions, it is indeed a bit complicated at the moment…," a CPT member confided to the newspaper. A Suspended Mandate for Fritz Jean Still according to Le Nouvelliste, Fritz Alphonse Jean's mandate at the head of the CPT is expected to end on August 7. But with a few weeks until this deadline, the record of his presidency remains slim: two Council of Ministers meetings held, few structural decisions, and a pervasive atmosphere of mistrust among members. In a context of widespread crisis, while popular expectations of the CPT were high, this institutional deadlock illustrates the deep flaws of a governance model eroded by partisan calculations. There is a great risk that the transition will derail due to a lack of common political will. After more than 13 months for this transition, Haiti is sinking deeper into the abyss with petty politics. The people, once again, are the true victims. Wideberlin Sénexant
"The Council of Ministers should not be used to appoint incompetent general directors," he declared. Still according to his statements to Le Nouvelliste, the CPT coordinator claims to have vetoed hundreds of proposed diplomatic appointments. He denounces a clientelist network orchestrated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "Dozens of people have been appointed to embassies that can only accommodate 10 or 15. Staff now work there on a rotational basis," he criticized, believing that these practices severely tarnish the country's international image. A Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the Heart of Criticism In the same interview with Le Nouvelliste, Fritz Alphonse Jean states that he has repeatedly said no to these excessive appointments, but that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reportedly bypassed his objections. He refers to decisions made "without consultation," which undermine the country's diplomatic balance. Minister Harvel Jean-Baptiste did not respond to Le Nouvelliste's calls to react to these accusations. However, according to information gathered by the newspaper, several influential members of the CPT, including councilors Louis Gérald Gilles and Smith Augustin, as well as Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, reportedly referred more than 90% of the appointed individuals themselves. A presidential advisor, interviewed anonymously, confirmed this information while specifying: "I am not too well versed in the subject." As for Smith Augustin, he refused to comment on anonymous accusations. A Council Divided into Four Clans According to a source within the CPT cited by Le Nouvelliste, the Council is now fragmented into four blocs with divergent logics: Group 1, described as the majority, primarily includes the 3 members who were implicated in the BNC corruption scandal: Louis Gérald Gilles, Smith Augustin, Emmanuel Vertilaire, Laurent Saint-Cyr, as well as Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé; Group 2 consists of Fritz Alphonse Jean himself, allied with Leslie Voltaire; Group 3 has only one member, Edgard Leblanc Fils, described as a "qualitative minority"; Group 4 consists of the two observers, without direct decision-making power. This clanic configuration, revealed in the columns of Le Nouvelliste, severely complicates decision-making and the regular organization of Council of Ministers meetings. "For decisions, it is indeed a bit complicated at the moment…," a CPT member confided to the newspaper. A Suspended Mandate for Fritz Jean Still according to Le Nouvelliste, Fritz Alphonse Jean's mandate at the head of the CPT is expected to end on August 7. But with a few weeks until this deadline, the record of his presidency remains slim: two Council of Ministers meetings held, few structural decisions, and a pervasive atmosphere of mistrust among members. In a context of widespread crisis, while popular expectations of the CPT were high, this institutional deadlock illustrates the deep flaws of a governance model eroded by partisan calculations. There is a great risk that the transition will derail due to a lack of common political will. After more than 13 months for this transition, Haiti is sinking deeper into the abyss with petty politics. The people, once again, are the true victims. Wideberlin Sénexant
