Prime Minister Ariel Henry has called for calm in a public address as violent protests have erupted across the country demanding he step down.
“I think the time has arrived for all to put our heads together to save Haiti, to do things another way in our country,” Henry said on Thursday without elaborating.
He encouraged Haitians not to view the government or national police as their enemies. Those who choose violence, destruction and killing people to take power are “not working in the interests of the Haitian people”, he added.
According to an agreement in December 2022, Henry was supposed to hold elections and pass power to newly elected officials on Wednesday February 7 , 2024.
A day after that deadline, Henry pledged to hold general elections as soon as the country’s security issues are resolved and congratulated police for their efforts on fighting gangs, promising he would keep pushing for the United Nations-backed deployment of a Kenyan police force.
“I want to reassure everyone that the government will do whatever it can for the mission to come as fast as possible,” he said.