President Jovenel Moise has appointed nine members to a provisional electoral council tasked with preparing a constitutional referendum and organizing local, municipal, legislative and presidential elections in the Caribbean country.
The United States government this week reiterated a strongly worded call for Jovenel Moise and other political forces to work together and arrange the elections.
The appointments to the provisional electoral council published on late Friday night in the government's newspaper are unlikely to placate Moise's opponents who argue he has failed to control corruption, crime and economic decline.
Among the new members, there are no representatives of key sectors instructed by the constitution such as the Episcopale Conference, the University Council, the Association of Journalists and others.
The appointments will likely be met with more resistance from the different opposition groups, united in their discontent over the government of Moise, a former banana exporter who took office in 2017.