Haiti's Prime Minister Jouthe Resigns Amid Protests Ahead Of Constitutional Referendum

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 14th April, 2021) Haiti's Prime Minister Joseph Jouthe said on Wednesday that he had offered President Jovenel Moise his resignation, which comes several months before the nation-wide referendum on a new constitution in a country hit hard by political and economic crisis and anti-government protests.

"Today, I have offered President of the Republic Jovenel Moise my resignation. It was an honor for me to serve my country as Prime Minister. I thank members of my government, technical and financial partners for their cooperation," Jouthe said in a statement posted on his Twitter page.

He did not disclose reasons behind the decision.

Jouthe became Haiti's head of government in March 2020. Prior to that, he served as an environment minister from September 2018 to September 2019 and later an acting finance minister.

Haiti, one of the poorest countries in the world, has been witnessing social and political crises. with protesters blaming President Moise for widespread corruption, economic problems and growing crime.

The situation is exacerbated by disputes over Moise's presidential term. Opposition believes that the president should have stepped down this February when his five-year term ended. Moise says he would stay in power for another year, pointing out that an interim administration ruled for a year after his election victory.

The president also did not rule out holding a constitutional referendum, initially scheduled for April 25, and later postponed to June 27. If adopted, the constitutional reform would eliminate the role of prime minister and the senate.