Jean Marie Cherestal, Haiti Prime Minister

Haiti's 10th Prime Minister was appointed on March 2, 2001 and served for just ten months before the controversy became publicly known and his continuance as Prime Minister was moot. News reports of the time hinted at statements of his incompetence, given further weight by the decline of the country's economy during his tenure. Adding more fuel to the fire, accusations were made that Jean Marie Cherestal had lined his own pockets with the nation's money and fiddled while Haiti all but burned in poverty.

Adding to the miasma of negativity surrounding his time in office, a failed coup, which succeeded in leaving thirteen dead, took place in the December before his resignation at the National Palace. It was led by former armed forces members and the attempt led to much violence on the streets of the capital. The ire and paranoia of the mass was fueled by the opposition who claimed the government used the failed coup as reason to repress the actions of disagreeable forces.

Giving a speech days after having delivered his letter of resignation, Jean Marie Cherestal said his step was taken to help ease the growing unrest in the country, but after the implications of corruption and incompetence first laid on him by Senate Vice-President, Fourel Celestin, Chérestal perhaps had little else by way of appropriate options.

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