Rashaed Esson

Staff Writer

December 13, 2023 – CARICOM’s Eminent Persons Group (EPG) is in Haiti once more and could again leave empty-handed.

Negotiations continued on Monday after starting on Friday, December 8th, but it is reported that Haiti’s stakeholders rejected CARICOM’s proposal regarding the creation of a presidential council.

CARICOM announced the group’s return to the republic on Friday via its Facebook page, informing that the reason is to facilitate negotiations for a Framework Agreement to bring about transitional governance aimed at bringing Haiti to where it can finally have free and fair elections.

However, given the rejection, it is reported that for now, the EPG is observing the discussions while the day for its departure comes.

Scheduled to leave on December 14th, 2023, the EPG, comprised of former Prime Ministers Bruce Golding, Perry Christie, and Chairman Kenny Anthony, was accompanied on this trip to Haiti by the Secretary General’s Special Adviser on Haiti, Ambassador Colin Granderson, Elizabeth Solomon, CARICOM’s Assistant Secretary-General for Foreign and Community Relations, and Nickeva Eve-Benjamin, Project Officer.

Back in November, the EPG was in Haiti on its third visit, where it reiterated that the nation is still hurting.

They went there during the period of November 8th to the 14th, called by information that a tentative agreement was reached regarding “areas of convergence following concessions made by Prime Minister Henry during informal discussions,” which occurred while the group wasn’t in the country.