Resulting from a broad consensus among the main political forces, the private sector, and representatives of civil society, the Transitional Presidential Council finally took the oath last week. The ceremony took place at the National Palace. The small symbolic victory was savored. However, the background sound of automatic gunfire during the presidential anthem clearly underscored the deterioration of the security situation and demonstrated that law enforcement operates in a defensive context, protecting the Champ de Mars, the last bastion against gangs that have taken control of downtown Port-au-Prince.

With the council now in power, its next steps include electing its president, appointing a new government to complete the executive branch, one of its urgent tasks being to restore security to a livable threshold in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area. It must propose a new version of the 1987 Constitution and hold free, fair, and equitable general elections so that the population can once again take ownership of one of the attributes and characteristics of democracy. The council is preparing to choose its president this Tuesday. Declared candidates are eager and campaigning. It will soon be apparent, perhaps through backstage whispers, how the inevitable negotiations, termed "repartimientos" by some and "sharing of responsibilities" by others, unfolded. Many cards will be revealed one day, ambitions will be confirmed, and major directions will be set. We will know if it's "after us, it's us," the political philosophy of local leaders who like to circulate with a certificate of impunity in their pocket. Other cards will also be revealed.