Liked on YouTube: With stalled govt, Haitians protest rising crime

With stalled govt, Haitians protest rising crime

(13 Feb 2020) Hundreds of university students and other protesters took to the streets of Port-au-Prince on Wednesday to demonstrate against a wave of kidnappings, while on Thursday Haiti's President Jovenel Moise marks one month in office ruling by decree. Protesters demanded stronger measures from the government to prevent crime. Haiti's parliament shut down indefinitely in January amidst political chaos there since 2019, when thousands of people protested, demanding President Moise resign over his government's failure to prosecute years of unbridled corruption that siphoned billions of US dollars in international aid into bank accounts overseas. Moise wants to stay in office until he can oversee the passage of a new constitution that strengthens the presidency and eliminates the ability of a few opposition legislators to block virtually all laws and appointments. Moise has lamented his weak executive powers, but says he is not clinging onto the presidency. "I am hooked on reforms. I am not hooked on a mandate, but these reforms need to be done in a clear political agreement," he said. The United States, the United Nations and the Organization of American States are mediating a pact between Moise and his opposition that would lead to declaring a government of unification that includes members of the opposition. It would avert a return to chaos on an island that's seen two coups, U.S.  intervention, UN peacekeeping missions and a devastating earthquake in the 34 years since the end of a decades-long dictatorship. Members of the opposition are open to such a deal to resolve the crisis. Andre Michel, a lawyer and spokesman for the opposition said the government should also free about 150 opposition members jailed over the last year and cancel arrest warrants for another 50 people. Find out more about AP Archive: https://ift.tt/1CUvJt1 Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: https://ift.tt/2mlr9BZ Google+: https://plus.google.com/b/102011028589719587178/+APArchive​ Tumblr: https://aparchives.tumblr.com/​​ Instagram: https://ift.tt/2G5Qog8 You can license this story through AP Archive: https://ift.tt/39MKMXm
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