PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – President Jovenel Moise last month named Jean Michel Lapin, once a public administration courier, Haiti’s new prime minister.
Lapin, Jean MichelLapin, who had been serving as acting prime minister since 93 of the 103 members of the Chamber of Deputies voted in favor of removing Prime Minister Jean-Henry Ceant in March, was reportedly one of three persons who had been considered for the permanent position in the French-speaking Caribbean community (CARICOM) country.
The others were attorney Majorie Alexandre Brunache, a former consul general of Haiti in Boston and the daughter of ex-President Boniface Alexandre, and Gabriel Fortuné, mayor of Les Cayes, a town in southwest Haiti.
In a Twitter message on April 9, Moise confirmed the appointment of Lapin, the former culture and communications minister, who was named acting prime minister on Mar. 21.
Lapin is the third head of government under President Moise since he came to office in Feb. 2017.
The installation of a new government is an International Monetary Fund pre-requisite for the disbursement of the first tranche of a $229 million loan to Haiti.
Lapin is a native of Jacmel, a port city in the southeast. He has served under the last four Haitian presidents.
