Haiti’s transitional ruling council, which is leading the Caribbean nation following the resignation of its prime minister amid a wave of gang violence, chose politician Edgard Leblanc Fils as its head on Tuesday.
Announcement of the selection, which took place during a ceremony in the capital Port-au-Prince, comes after the long-awaited council was sworn in last week, marking a step forward in restoring functional government.
Leblanc Fils, a former Senate president, will have a coordinating role within the nine-member governing body as it attempts to restore a semblance of order.
The new council came to power as the unpopular and unelected prime minister Ariel Henry submitted his formal resignation last week.
Henry had promised in March to step down once a council was installed, after armed gangs rose up and demanded his ouster.
One of the council’s first tasks will be to appoint a new prime minister.
Haiti has no functioning parliament and has not had a president since the assassination of Jovenel Moise in 2021. Elections were last held in 2016.
The transitional body is scheduled to lead the country until fresh polls, with an elected government to take over by February 6, 2026.
