Following the failed attempt to remove Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, some advisors are considering, with less than 10 days left in their term, removing Laurent Saint-Cyr, the interim President and coordinator of the Transitional Council. They accuse him of being responsible for this failure by refusing to publish the removal resolution in the official journal, Le Moniteur, and wish to appoint a replacement who supports the Prime Minister's removal.

This last-ditch attempt, however, has divided the group of dissenters. Councilor Smith Augustin, one of the five signatories of the resolution to remove the Prime Minister, has distanced himself from this move. In a letter to his colleagues, he stated that he would not sign a new resolution aimed at removing Laurent Saint-Cyr from the presidency of the Transitional Council. This withdrawal prevents Laurent Saint-Cyr's removal, making the group of dissenters a minority.

Correspondence from Smith Augustin :

"Port-au-Prince, January 29, 2026

Dear Presidential Advisors,

Dear colleagues : Fritz Alphonse Jean, Leslie Voltaire, Edgard Leblanc Fils, and Louis Gérald Gilles,

I am writing to you to formally and unequivocally clarify my position regarding the proposed removal of the CPT coordinator, namely our colleague Laurent Saint-Cyr, just days before the end of our term.

Following the recommendations stemming from discussions held with several national stakeholders within the framework of the political dialogue initiated on Sunday, January 18, 2026, we considered the dismissal of the Prime Minister, Mr. Alix Didier Fils-Aimé.

I supported this initiative, convinced that our presidential prerogatives gave us the necessary latitude and believing that such a decision could facilitate the institutional transition starting February 7, 2026. I acted in good faith and with full responsibility.

However, it must be acknowledged that this decision has deeply divided the Council, contributing to the worsening of the political crisis and creating tensions with certain international partners, notably the United States Government, which has expressed its support for the Prime Minister in a clear and unusual manner.

Faced with this situation, and two days after the outbreak of the crisis, I deemed it necessary to prioritize dialogue. To this end, I sent a letter to the coordinator and informed you of it. Unfortunately, this approach was not considered useful.

I note today that you are prioritizing the removal of my colleague Saint-Cyr from his position as coordinator, with the aim of appointing a new coordinator tasked with submitting the resolution concerning the Prime Minister's dismissal to the Official Journal of the Republic. With all due respect, I must express my opposition to this approach.

It seems to me, in fact, difficult to defend, from a legal standpoint, that an unpublished resolution could have the effect of repealing a previously published resolution, particularly the one establishing the duration and allocation of responsibilities for coordinating the rotating presidency.

Even assuming that some consider this approach legally sound, there is clearly no consensus on its legality.

Furthermore, if this procedure were to be initiated without the agreement of the coordinator in question, what would the concrete consequences be ? In the event of a persistent refusal to publish the official gazette, should we consider successive dismissals: first of the Secretary General, appointed by published presidential decree, and then possibly of the Director General of the National Press, himself appointed by the Council of Ministers ? Wouldn't such a course of action risk triggering an uncontrollable institutional spiral, just days before the end of our mission ?

Dear colleagues, without any pretension or desire to lecture, I remain deeply convinced that this path is neither the most responsible nor the most appropriate for concluding our mandate, in a context already marked by significant internal tensions and extreme institutional fragility. I remain certain that the Haitian people expect from us greater restraint, institutional rigor, a sense of duty to the state, and a commitment to transcending political divisions.

Therefore, I am informing you that from today until February 7, 2026, I will refrain from participating in any similar decision-making process, which I perceive not as a clear-headed and consensual search for a way out of the crisis, but as an institutional escalation with unpredictable consequences.

I am aware that this position may be viewed in different ways. I fully accept it, calmly and with respect for the responsibilities I have borne throughout this mission.

Please accept, dear colleagues, the expression of my patriotic and fraternal greetings.

Smith Augustin

Presidential Advisor

CC : CP-Coordinator Mr. Laurent Saint-Cyr, CP Mr. Emmanuel Vertilaire, CP Ms. Régine Abraham, CP Mr. Frinel Joseph."

HL/ SL/ HaitiLibre