Haiti - Reconstruction : Laurent Lamothe, wishes that international assistance passes through his Government
During an interview with the journalist Sébastien St-François of Radio-Canada, the Prime Minister, Laurent Lamothe, expressed the wish that the aid of the international community, including, that of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), passes through the Haitian authorities before being redistributed.
"[...] Haiti and Canada have a relationship that goes beyond one or two personalities, we want to continue that relationship, and certainly, we will have meetings with the Government of Canada in the coming months to explain the situation. If there is accountability, what we ask, is that firstly, it is necessary that the aid be channeled through the Government of Haiti, which is the legitimate government, the elected Government, the Government which has the responsibility of bringing sustainable development [...] We're not asking to eliminate at 100% the NGOs, but we say, that it is necessary that the Government's priorities are taken into account."
Responding to the journalist whether his remarks meant he wanted that the money from CIDA passes directly through the Haitian Government, the Prime Minister was categorical in his response "[...] Absolutely! If we talk about development in Haiti, the Haitian Government must take ownership of this development and should work with CIDA on the priorities of the Haitian Government [...] this is absolutely normal, it is the Government of Haiti who knows what the priorities are [...] certainly much more than third parties..."
