Haiti installs new PM

Haiti's new prime minister Garry Conille assumed office Tuesday with a call for national unity to rebuild the country devastated by the January 2010 earthquake. "A new time has arrived for Haiti and it will only be possible with the unity of all citizens," said Conille in his inaugural speech, which highlighted the new administration's determination to tackle the country's huge reconstruction task. The new prime minister, who served as chief of staff for former U.S. President Bill Clinton and UN envoy to Haiti, had a long career in the United Nations and was specialized in development and health issues. At the ceremony at the National Palace, President Michel Martelly hailed the inauguration as "a new dawn" for Haiti, as he read the decree of appointment. Conille was the third nominee put forward by Martelly. The first two were rejected by the Congress, where many members back former President Rene Preval.