Haitian lawmakers have confirmed Foreign Minister Laurent Lamothe as the country's new prime minister, ending a lengthy political stalemate that has stalled reconstruction efforts from the 2010 earthquake.
The Chamber of Deputies, Haiti's lower house of parliament, confirmed President Michel Martelly's nomination of Lamothe late Thursday by vote of 62-3. Lamothe will succeed Gary Conille, who resigned from the post in February after repeated clashes with Martelly.
The Senate confirmed Lamothe's nomination last month.
Conille's sudden resignation brought the government to a standstill, as Haiti's prime minister acts as the day-to-day head of government. The political crisis has kept foreign donors from following through on pledges to contribute to Haiti's reconstruction efforts.
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton, the United Nations special envoy to Haiti, issued a statement before Thursday's vote saying "the Haitian people deserve better from their leaders" as he urged lawmakers to confirm Mr. Lamothe.
The January 12, 2010 earthquake killed 250,000 people, left thousands more displaced, and left parts of the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, in ruins.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.