Haitian citizens gather in front of the U.S. embassy, asking for asylum after the assassination of President Jovenel Moise, in Tabarre, Port-au-Prince, Haiti, July 10, 2021, /CFP
The United States is still reviewing a request for troops made by Haiti's interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph to help secure its airport and other infrastructure after the assassination of President Jovenel Moise, the White House said on Monday.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Haiti's political leadership remains unclear and that it was vital for the country's leaders to come together to chart a united path forward.
"It's still under review," she said of Haiti's request to send troops. Asked if it had been ruled out, Psaki said, "No."
U.S. President Joe Biden told reporters later on Monday that his administration was "closely watching" developments in Haiti.
"The people of Haiti deserve peace and security, and Haiti's political leaders need to come together for the good of their country," Biden said.
"The U.S. stands ready to continue to provide assistance and I'll have more for you as we move on," he said, without giving details.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki speaks to reporters during a briefing at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 12, 2021. /CFP
Moise was shot dead early on Wednesday at his Port-au-Prince home by what Haitian authorities describe as a unit of assassins including 26 Colombians and two Haitian Americans. Haitian police said on Sunday they had arrested another suspect.
The death of the president plunged the Caribbean country into deeper turmoil, and U.S. officials traveled there on Sunday to assess the situation and meet three politicians who have all staked competing claims to take charge.
"What was clear about their trip is that there is a lack of clarity about the future of political leadership," Psaki said at a news briefing.
Power struggle intensifies
Late on Friday, Ariel Henry, a neurosurgeon who Moise named prime minister just before his assassination, claimed the right to lead Haiti, pitting him against interim Prime Minister Joseph, whose government has managed the response to the killing to date.
"After the president's assassination, I became the highest, legal and regular authority because there was a decree nominating me," Henry said, adding that he was forming a government.
Henry said his government would create a new electoral council which would determine new dates for elections to be held "as soon as possible."
But Henry has yet to be sworn in, and Joseph, who was named interim prime minister in April, has stayed put.
Haiti's interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph speaks during a press conference in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, July 11, 2021. /CFP
The power struggle has created confusion over who is the legitimate leader of the country's 11 million people.
Meanwhile, Haiti's Senate, which currently comprises just a third of its usual 30 senators, nominated its head Joseph Lambert to act as the interim president on Friday.
Haiti's 1987 constitution stipulates the head of the Supreme Court should take over as interim president. But amendments that are not unanimously recognized state that it should be the prime minister, or, in the event that it is the last year of a president's mandate, that parliament should elect a president – as was the case with Moise.
Further complicating matters, the head of the Supreme Court died last month after contracting COVID-19.
There also is no sitting parliament, as legislative elections scheduled for late 2019 were postponed amid political unrest.
(With input from Reuters, AFP)