Haitian Prime Minister, Jack Guy Lafontant, has resigned after a no-confidence vote triggered by protests against the rise of fuel prices.
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Haiti’s Prime Minister, Jack Guy Lafontant, resigned on Saturday after a no-confidence vote sparked by protests against the increase of fuel prices.
Speaking to the lower house of Congress, Lafontant said President Jovenel Moise had accepted his resignation.
Earlier this month, the Haitian government announced a reduction of fuel subsidies as part of an agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which resulted in a 38% rise in gasoline prices and 47% hike for diesel.
The rise in fuel prices triggered protests all around the capital, Port-au-Prince, with demonstrators barricading roads, looting stores, and setting cars on fire.
The protests caused airlines to cancel flights and embassies to close.
The government suspended the reforms temporarily to calm demonstrators but they were not enough to stop the protests.
Lafontant, a medical doctor and political newcomer, had plans to boost agricultural production, improve infrastructure and expand access to water during his mandate.