Photo: SIMON MAINA / AFP / Getty Images
Haiti Prime Minister Ariel Henry is officially resigning, and a new Council will be sworn in today to select his replacement.
The resignation clears the way for a new government to take over amid gang violence in the Caribbean nation.
Former North Miami Mayor Philippe Bien-Aime says the gun violence on the island is fueled by weapons sent on cargo ships from Miami via the Dominican Republic.
Bien-Aime, who was born in Port-au-Prince, says what Haiti really needs now is security and free elections.
"There are currently no elected officials in Haiti and the constitution calls for 6000 elected officials to run the government," explains Bien-Aime.
He says today is an important step forward as a transitional government is sworn in and a new leader, Michael Patrick Boisvert, becomes the country’s interim president.
The new Council will also appoint a provisional electoral commission, a requirement before elections can take place, and establish a national security council.