The move follows the council’s attempt to oust Prime Minister Fils Aime and the recent deployment of U.S. warships to waters near the Haitian capital.

Haiti’s Transitional Presidential Council has handed power to U.S.-backed Prime Minister Alix Didier Fiers-Aimé after nearly two years of chaotic governance characterized by rampant gang violence that left thousands dead.

Given Haiti’s unstable political climate, the transfer of power between the nine-member transitional council and 54-year-old businessman Fiers Aimé took place on Saturday amid tight security.

“Mr. Prime Minister, at this historic moment, I know that you are measuring the depth of the responsibility you bear for the country,” Council President Laurent Saint-Cyr told Fils Aimé, now the country’s only politician with executive powers.

In late January, several members of the committee said they Seeking removal of Fils-Aimeleading the United States Announcement of visa revocation four unidentified council members and one cabinet minister.

Days before the commission was disbanded, the United States deployed a warship and two U.S. Coast Guard vessels to waters near Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, where gangs control 90 percent of the territory.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stressed the “importance” of Fils Aimé’s continued service “to combating terrorist groups and stabilizing the island.”

The council’s plan to oust Fiers Aimé for undisclosed reasons appeared to be on hold at an official ceremony on Saturday.

Fiers-Aime now faces the daunting task of organizing the first general election in a decade.

This year’s general election is unlikely

The Transitional Presidential Council was established in 2024 as the country’s top executive body in response to the political crisis since the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in 2021.

It quickly devolved into infighting, questions about its membership and accusations of corruption, falling far short of its mission to quell gang violence and improve the lives of Haitians.

Just six months after its creation, the body ousted Prime Minister Garry Conille and selected Fils-Aime as his successor.

Although the committee was tasked with developing a framework for federal elections, it ended up postponing a series of votes planned to elect a new president in February.

Tentative dates are August and December, but many believe elections and runoffs are unlikely this year.

According to the United Nations, Haitian gangs killed nearly 6,000 people last year. Approximately 1.4 million people (10% of the population) have been displaced by violence.

The United Nations has approved an international security forces Help police restore security, but more than two years later, fewer than 1,000 of the intended troops (mainly Kenyan police) have been deployed. The United Nations says it aims to have 5,500 troops in the country by the middle of this year and no later than November.