While Fritz Alphonse Jean was supposed to succeed Edgard Leblanc Fils in the rotating presidency of the Presidential Transition Council after five months, he decided to step aside for Smith Augustin, who wanted to expand the rotating presidency at the PTC to five presidents instead of the originally decided four.

"Under pressure from his sector, Smith Augustin was determined to be among the presidents of the Presidential Council at all costs. Not wanting the number of presidential advisors in the rotating presidency to increase to five, Fritz A. Jean voluntarily gave up his position. Smith Augustin will thus be the 2nd president after Edgard Leblanc Fils," explained a presidential advisor to Le Nouvelliste.