Originally: Haitian premier calls on new police director to restore order
The inaugural ceremony for the new police chief was held at the Police Academy yesterday. Prime Minister Gerard Latortue presented new Police Director Mario Andresol as a man who has the necessary competence to restore order in the country. The prime minister once again said that he is counting on the support of the international community. Andresol promised to do everything possible to allow the people to live in peace. The ceremony took place in the presence of government officials, representatives of the international community, senior officers and officers of the PNH (Haitian National Police) and soldiers from Minustah (UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti), as well as other guests.
Prime Minister Latortue:
“Among all the names that were suggested, he was the one who was underscored as the person who in this particular situation could, with the national police corps, the CSPNH (High Council of the Haitian National Police) and the government, create the confidence that is indispensable for the people so that because the security issue is not just a matter of concern for the government, it is a problem for all of us. And I believe that Director Andresol will be granted this confidence. Besides, in the speech that he made, I could feel all the weight of the man who has committed himself to bringing an improvement in the country’s security situation.
“It was also an opportunity for the head of government to pay tribute to the policemen who were murdered by the forces of destabilization. He made it clear that those who are feeding the insecurity in the country belong to the past.
“This insecurity that we are fighting, we are fighting it for several reasons. The first reason is that, as a state, it is our duty to ensure the security of people’s lives and property. It is our duty to make sure that all Haitians from all social strata of the country, as well as the foreigners who live here, may be able to live in peace and in security.
“Over these past months, we have gone through some considerable difficulties. But now, with you (Andresol), I want to make the decision that it is the beginning of the end of all the problems. And I am counting on you in particular, just as I am counting on civil society, on the private sector, on the political parties, and on the people as a whole to combat this insecurity phenomenon so that very soon we may not hear people talk about kidnapping at the pace that it is going on now.
But we will also fight the insecurity because we are not able to create jobs in the country. We cannot do anything to lower the high cost of living in the country if there is no security. When we take a look at downtown Port-au-Prince, we see that the businesses are closed and manufacturers are leaving the country. In a matter of a year, we have lost 20,000 jobs. All those who could create jobs in the country say that the Haitians do not need to work and that all they want is chaos. But I want to let these people know that it is not the Haitian people, but rather a small group that is working for men and women who cannot stand the idea that they have lost power and that they have lost it definitely.
But I am counting on you to restore order in downtown Port-au-Prince. I hope that the new leadership of the police will work out a plan according to which it will systematically encircle the lawless zones, as well as downtown Port-au-Prince, so that business owners can resume their activities and investment can return to the country