(Miami Herald) - The musical chairs in Haiti's government continued Friday as the prime minister's office announced after midnight replacements for two cabinet posts left vacant by resignations within days of one another.
Trade and Commerce Minister Wilson Laleau will now head the ministry of economy and finance, replacing Marie Carmelle Jean-Marie. A highly respected economist, Jean-Marie abruptly resigned Wednesday after 11 months, telling Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe in a resignation letter that she no longer felt "solidarity" with her colleagues in her mission to rein in public spending and put Haiti on the path to macro-economic stability.
The resignation caught both Haiti's private sector and donor community by surprise. Both considered Jean-Marie to be one of the more credible and competent members of President Michel Martelly's young administration, which has been under pressure to stage long overdue elections, as well as provide more transparency in government spending and better financial management.