Haiti's PM quits amid backlash over protests

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Haitian Prime Minister Jack Guy Lafontant resigned on Saturday as he faced a non-confidence vote after a move to lower fuel subsidies prompted days of violent protests in the impoverished Caribbean nation.

In a speech to the Lower Chamber that was broadcast live on television, Lafontant defended his tenure but said that Haiti’s President Jovenel Moise had accepted his resignation.

"As I told you, I am at service to the Republic," Lafontant said.

Haitian Prime Minister Jack Guy Lafontant gestures during a meeting with members of the Parliament in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, July 14, 2018. /VCG Photo

Earlier this month, the Haitian government announced a reduction of fuel subsidies as part of an agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The move translated to a 38 percent rise in gasoline prices and 47 percent hike for diesel, triggering protests during which demonstrators barricaded roads, looted stores and set cars ablaze in the capital, Port-au-Prince.

The unrest caused embassies to close and airlines to suspend flights to Haiti for days.

Lafontant announced a temporary reversal of the policy in a bid to quell the demonstrations, but the protests continued. A no-confidence vote in his leadership had been scheduled for Saturday, according to the Miami Herald.

Demonstrators march through the streets of Port-au-Prince on July 14, 2018, to protest against Prime Minister Jack Guy Lafontant and his administration. /VCG Photo

The IMF said on Thursday that it expects Haiti to create a revised reform plan that will include a gradual lowering of fuel subsidies.

A medical doctor and political novice, Lafontant became prime minister in March 2017 with ambitious plans to boost agricultural production, improve infrastructure and expand access to clean water.

Source(s): Reuters