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Of the 104 lawmakers participating, 93 voted to dismiss the prime minister and his government, six voted against and three abstained.
Haiti's Lower House of Deputies voted Monday to censure Prime Minister Jean-Henry Ceant amidst ongoing economic unrest and nation-wide protests.
Of the 104 lawmakers participating, 93 voted to dismiss the prime minister and his government, six voted against and three abstained. "Notice will be sent to the president of the Republic. A new prime minister will be appointed in consultation between the head of state and the presidents of both branches of Parliament," said Speaker Gary Bodeau.
Reports stated that at around 11:30 am at the Senate level there were only 13 senators present. In the absence of a quorum in the Upper House, Ceant could not ask for a vote of confidence to stay as head of government for six more months. The ousted Prime Minister tweeted he was present in the Senate since 7:00 am Monday.
Depuis 7h am, ce lundi 18 mars 2019, je suis au Sénat de la République pour payer de ma présence la séance d'interpellation du Grand Corps.
— Jean-Henry Céant (@jeanhenryceant) March 18, 2019
The situation in the Caribbean nation took a drastic turn on Feb. 7 when opposition anti-government protests were called against current President Jovenel Moise. The angry citizens rallied to demand the judicial system take action against embezzlement of Petrocaribe funds, which rose to approximately US$2 billion between 2008 and 2018, according to a partial report of the National Audit Office.
Lawmakers agree the reason for the censure is because Ceant failed to improve the living conditions in the six months since he took over as Prime Minister. As the protests and riots reach day 40, unofficial reports indicate that at least eight people have died in the demonstrations, while the opposition raises the figure to 50.
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