Haiti/Politics: When Vertilaire Emmanuel Says "Calm" Amid Doubts of Private Sector Control

Presidential Advisor Vertilaire Emmanuel quickly reacts to Laurent Saint-Cyr's accession to the head of the Transitional Presidential Council on August 7, 2025. The presidential advisor calls for calm and reiterates the fundamental missions of the transition. Hardly had the handover of power between Fritz Alphonse Jean and Laurent Saint-Cyr been completed this Wednesday, August 7, 2025, when reactions began to emerge. On X, Vertilaire Emmanuel, representative of the Pitit Desalin party within the Transitional Presidential Council (CPT), delivered a strong message to the public and political actors. Laurent Saint-Cyr, representing the private sector, thus succeeds Fritz Alphonse Jean, who had held the coordinator position since last March. His record since then has been poor. In a context where some fear private sector domination over the executive power due to the profile of Laurent Saint-Cyr, a well-known businessman, Vertilaire Emmanuel calls for serenity. “In this difficult moment of our history, it is important to maintain our serenity,” he writes. He rejects alarmist interpretations suggesting that the private sector would now control the transition. “The transitional executive power is not led by a private sector duo; it is shared between a Presidential Council and a Prime Minister. Together, we form the two oars of the same boat moving, for better or worse, on the turbulent waters of politics,” he emphasizes. Vertilaire insists on the collective nature of governance within the CPT. For him, debates about the Council's presidency should not become sources of division: “Quarrels over who presides over the Council are just useless distractions, designed to weaken what little stability remains in the country.” He reminds that the coordinator position is not a throne, but a function within a collegial body. “It is not a chair for a king; it is a round table for several officials. Everyone has a voice, everyone has a role, regardless of the origin, background, or sector of activity of the presidential advisor who assumes the coordination,” writes the Pitit Desalin representative. He concludes by stating that the alternation at the head of the CPT should be seen as a sign of democratic maturity, not as a crisis: “Accepting alternation is proof of political maturity. Let us therefore welcome this new leadership with serenity and a sense of state responsibility.” Vertilaire Emmanuel finally reiterates the central mission of the Transitional Presidential Council: to restore security and create favorable conditions for organizing free, credible, and inclusive elections. A roadmap that, according to him, all advisors must continue to collectively pursue. An agenda, words of reminder, while 3 coordinators have already held the position, and this is the last one. After nearly 15 months since the CPT's installation, the record remains mixed. Desiderata are still not met, even as we have the deadline of August 7, 2026, for the handover of power. Furthermore, like all his predecessors, Laurent Saint-Cyr promises to move from words to action. For him, too much blood has been shed, and banditry must be eradicated. Only the following days will allow us to assess his coordination. Meanwhile, the crisis remains unchanged, and armed violence continues to kill. The Editorial Board