Haiti's lower house accepts female PM nominee

Michele Pierre-Louis, 61, is known internationally for her work on behalf of the poor and youth in Haiti. She heads the independent educational and cultural organisation, Foundation for Knowledge and Liberty (FOKAL), which aims to support the development

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, July 18, 2008 – Haiti’s lower house of Parliament has backed President René Préval’s plan to put a woman in charge.

With a vote of 61-1, with 20 abstentions, the chamber of deputies, as it’s called, on Thursday ratified the nomination of Michèle Pierre-Louis - Mr Préval’s third choice for prime minister.

Ms Pierre-Louis, 61, whose name was put forward three and a half weeks ago, must still get the endorsement of the 18-member Senate which is expected to vote next week.

Observers have already predicted that the latest nominee will get the Senate’s nod, bringing three months of political deadlock that resulted after the ousting of the last prime minister, Jacques Edouard Alexis. He was fired by the Senate on April 12th on the heels of riots over skyrocketing food prices.

Two previous nominees to fill his post - Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) economist, Ericq Pierre, and security expert and presidential adviser, Robert Manuel – were both rejected by legislators.

Ms Pierre-Louis is known internationally for her work on behalf of the poor and youth in Haiti and heads the independent educational and cultural organisation, Foundation for Knowledge and Liberty (FOKAL), which aims to support the development of children, youth organisations, youth civil society associations, peasants and women's organisations.

If she secures the vote of confidence of legislators, Ms Pierre-Louis would be the second woman to serve in that position, following Claudette Werleigh who served from November in 1995 to February in 1996.