Friday, February 7, in an interview with the agency Associated Press (AP) in his residence at Pèlerin 5, on the heights of Port-au-Prince, President Jovenel Moise said he was optimistic about a positive outcome of negotiations with the opposition on power sharing to end the crisis "It makes me optimistic to see my brothers and sisters from the political opposition, civil society and religious groups [...] I think we’re at a crossroads," convinced of an agreement "[...] if there’s good will on the part of the people involved to find a way forward with a realistic calendar [...]"

Explaining his position, the Head of State said he would accept an opposition Prime Minister and a shortened mandate, but only after the adoption of a constitutional reform strengthening the Presidency, stressing that he would only serve one mandate and that he would therefore not be the beneficiary of the enhanced powers of a presidency.

"Two concessions" of reduction of its mandate and Prime Minister of the opposition, without far-reaching, since the convocation of a Constituent Assembly to rewrite the Constitution, will certainly take all the time that it remains in his mandate...

The Head of State recalled that the Haitian Constitution of 1987 had been drafted after the end of three decades of dictatorship and that it was intended in part to prevent the emergence of another strong man, by limiting the presidential powers "The 1987 constitution took all the power out of the president’s hands [...]" emphasizing that his efforts to improve the living conditions of the population had been thwarted during these first three years in power because of the constitutional requirement according to which the Parliament must approve practically all the important actions of the President.

In the constitutional reform, he envisages inter alia that the presidential proposals pass automatically if the Parliament does not vote them within 60 days and that all the political mandates, deputies and senators are of 5 years, to avoid the multiple elections and their batches of problems...

"We need to all get together and forge a deal, even if that deal isn’t accepted by everyone [...] You’ll have radicals, extremists who won’t sign, who won’t accept it, but that won’t kill the republic."

SL/ HaitiLibre