Interim president Jocelerme Privert has signed an executive order yesterday 2/25 appointing Fritz Alphonse Jean as the new prime minister to help him organize the elections.
Fritz Jean’s job will include helping create a balanced election council supported by Haiti’s fractious rival political parties, a key step needed to hold the election set for April. A runoff election due on Jan. 24 was canceled amid violent protests, and after the opposition candidate said he would not take part because of widespread fraud in the first round.
Fritz Jean was born in Cap-Haitien. He originates from the nearby commune of Sainte-Suzanne, Nord-Est Department where he spent many childhood summers and with which he maintains strong ties. Fritz Jean studied economics and mathematics in the United States, in New York at the Fordham University and the New School for Social Research[5] before returning to pursue his professional career in Haiti.
Jean spent several years (1987–91) at the University of Haiti (UEH) in Port-au-Prince as a professor and consultant before moving on to general economic consulting work in the Haitian public and private sectors. In 1996 he was named vice-governor of the Banque de la République d’Haïti, a post he held for two years. In February 1998, under the René Préval government, he was named governor of Haiti’s central bank where he remained in office until August 2001.
Later on, between 2005–09 he was dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Economics and Political science at the University Notre Dame of Haiti. Passionate about the future of the Haitian youth, Jean also served as president of YMCA-Haiti from 2007 until 2010. Jean speaks Haitian Creole, French and English fluently. Fritz Jean is also a founding member of the Haitian Stock Exchange.
