PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) 鈥� Haiti鈥檚 government is starting to crumble as Prime Minister Ariel Henry faces increased scrutiny from authorities investigating the president鈥檚 slaying, with Henry firing the justice minister late Wednesday, just hours after another top official resigned and accused Henry of obstructing justice in a sharply worded letter.
Henry's dismissal of Justice Minister Rockfeller Vincent came a day after he fired Port-au-Prince's chief prosecutor, who had linked the prime minister to a key suspect in the killing of President Jovenel Mo茂se.
Meanwhile, Renald Lub茅rice, who served more than four years as secretary general of Haiti鈥檚 Council of Ministers, said he could not remain under the direction of someone who is under suspicion and who 鈥渄oes not intend to cooperate with justice, seeking, on the contrary, by all means, to obstruct it.鈥�
Lub茅rice also said he is concerned about the alleged evidence against Henry in the killing.
鈥淢ay each minister put himself at the height of his mission at this historic crossroads,鈥� he said.
A spokesman for Henry declined to comment. Vincent tweeted that the confidence Mo茂se showed him allowed him to serve with "dignity, competence, loyalty and a sense of public service."
Vincent added that Haiti is obligated to bring those responsible to justice: 鈥淚t is a matter of national dignity. I am counting on the independence of the justice of my country to shed light on this emblematic case and all the other pending cases.鈥�
Henry appointed Liszt Quitel as justice minister and Josu茅 Pierre Louis as the council's secretary general. Quitel had been serving as interior minister under Henry and was once an adviser to then Haitian President Ren茅 Pr茅val.
The appointments come less than a week after then Port-au-Prince chief prosecutor Bed-Ford Claude asked Henry to meet with him Tuesday to explain why he had two phone conversations with a key suspect just hours after the July 7 killing of Mo茂se at his home. The suspect, Joseph Badio, was fired from the government's anti-corruption unit in May and remains a fugitive, according to police, who seek him on charges including murder.
On Tuesday, Claude ordered the judge overseeing the case to charge and investigate the prime minister based on that evidence. Hours later, a new chief prosecutor replaced Claude on orders of Henry, who accused Claude of an undefined, 鈥渟erious administrative fault.鈥�
The day before Claude was fired, Vincent ordered that the chief of Haiti's National Police increase security for the prosecutor, saying he had received 鈥渋mportant and disturbing threats鈥� in recent days.
The developments underline that Mo茂se鈥檚 T猫t Kale party is fracturing, said Robert Fatton, a Haitian politics expert at the University of Virginia.
Some politicians are aligning themselves with Henry and others are breaking away, threatening to further destabilize the country as it tries to recover from the turmoil of the assassination and a recent earthquake that killed more than 2,200 people as it prepares for upcoming presidential and legislative elections.
Among those breaking away is Senate President Joseph Lambert, a one-time Mo茂se ally who recently proclaimed himself as provisional president in a move that has only received support from several politicians and has not been recognized by Henry's administration or anyone in the international community.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know how long the power struggle can continue,鈥� Fatton said. 鈥淎ll of it is bewildering. We鈥檒l have to wait to see if the situation settles and if Ariel Henry wins that battle.鈥�
Henry, who Mo茂se named as prime minister shortly before he was killed, has not spoken publicly on the issue this week, saying only over the weekend that he is focused on stabilizing Haiti and would not be distracted by summons, maneuvers or threats.
Haiti's ombudsman-like Office of Citizen Protection recently called on Henry to resign and asked the international community to stop supporting him.
On Wednesday evening, a key group of diplomats issued a statement saying it encouraged efforts by Henry and other political leaders to reach an agreement and form an inclusive government 鈥渢o preserve national cohesion and allow the country to resume its journey towards political stability.鈥�
The Core Group, composed of ambassadors from Germany, Brazil, Canada, Spain, the U.S., France, the European Union and representatives from the United Nations and the Organization of American States, also demanded that 鈥渇ull light be shed on the assassination鈥� of Mo茂se.
More than 40 suspects have been arrested in the slaying, including 18 Colombian ex-soldiers who have accused Haitian authorities of torturing them while they are in custody. The investigation has faced several setbacks, including death threats that have forced court clerks to go into hiding and a judge to step down after one of his assistants died in unclear circumstances.
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Coto reported from San Juan, Puerto Rico.
D谩nica Coto And Evens Sanon, The Associated Press
