Haitian Senate rejects new candidate for premier

Haitian Senate rejects new candidate for premier
PORT-AU-PRINCE | Tue Aug 2, 2011 11:09pm EDT

PORT-AU-PRINCE Aug 2 (Reuters) - Lawmakers rejected Haitian President Michel Martelly's new choice for prime minister on Tuesday, blocking his efforts to install a government and move ahead with rebuilding a country shattered by last year's earthquake.

The Haitian Senate voted by a narrow margin to reject Bernard Gousse, a controversial lawyer and former justice minister. The vote capped a long and rancorous debate in the upper house of the impoverished Caribbean nation's parliament.

It was the second rejection of Martelly's choice for premier in less than two months and marked a messy start to his young presidency.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/03/haiti-government-idUSN1E77127Q20110803

Aug 2, 11:17 PM EDT
Haiti lawmakers reject leader's 2nd pick for PM

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) -- Haitian lawmakers voted against the new president's second choice for prime minister.

The rejection of former Justice Minister Bernard Gousse on Tuesday marks yet another set back for Haitian President Michel Martelly, who took office in May.

The hold up in installing a Cabinet has constrained the Martelly administration from making much headway on helping Haitians recover from last year's earthquake.

Sixteen senators voted against Gousse while the rest of the 30-seat Senate refrained from voting.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CB_HAITI_PM_REJECTION?SECTION=HOME&SITE=AP&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT