Jacques-Édouard Alexis

Alexis was nominated as Prime Minister by Préval on 16 July 1998, following congressional rejections of three prior nominees that had resulted in a year-long political crisis.[2] His nomination was preliminarily ratified by the Senate on 17 December and by the Chamber of Deputies on 17 December despite an unfavorable report regarding his management of funds as Minister of Education.[3][4] Completion of the ratification process requires ratification of the nominee's proposed cabinet and general policy;[4][5] Alexis's final ratification was delayed by the insistence of opposition leaders that they receive cabinet posts.[5] Parliament passed a bill extending their term so that they could continue the ratification process, but Préval denied that they had authority to do so, announcing on 11 January (the final day of the parliamentary session) that he intended to bypass Parliament and form a government by decree.[5][6] Opposition parties accused Préval of having staged a bloodless coup and considered Alexis an illegitimate prime minister.[5][7] Alexis served as Prime Minister from 26 March 1999 to 7 February 2001.

Préval was re-elected in February 2006, and he again nominated Alexis as Prime Minister on 17 May 2006, three days after taking office as President.[8] The nomination was ratified almost unanimously by both houses of parliament, and Alexis and his government were sworn in on 9 June 2006. His second government consisted of a coalition of six parties, including Préval's Lespwa party, the Fusion of Haitian Social Democrats, the Struggling People's Organization, and Jean-Bertrand Aristide's Fanmi Lavalas party.[9] His stated policy objectives included the restoration of security in the country and the provision of basic services to citizens.[10]

Criticism of Alexis's economic policies led to a no-confidence vote in February 2008, which Alexis survived.[11] Riots broke out in early April 2008 regarding high food prices, and Alexis announced an investment program designed to lower the cost of living.[12] On 10 April, it was announced that 16 Senators (a majority, as there are 30 seats in Haiti's Senate) had signed a letter advising Alexis to resign within two days. The letter described Alexis's proposals to resolve the economic crisis as "too little, too late" and said that "it is obvious that the majority of the people don't believe any more in the capacity of your government to take courageous measures to ease the misery that the population is facing daily."[13] The Senate then voted unanimously to dismiss Alexis on 12 April, with all of the 16 Senators present in favor. Préval said that he would consult with Parliament to choose a new Prime Minister, but he also said that Alexis had done his best and should not receive all the blame for the situation.[14]