In February 2004, the country experienced a ''
coup d'état'' which saw the removal and exile of President
Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Breaking with the Haitian constitution a "council of the wise" was set up by the international powers to choose a new Prime Minister. Latortue was selected by the council and appointed head of the
interim government on 9 March while still living in the
United States, and was sworn in on 12 March. His administration was recognized by the
United Nations, the
United States,
France,
Venezuela, His government was beset with opposition from the
Fanmi Lavalas political party (and with them, a large amount of the Haitian populace) and violence by and between gangs, rebels, and militants (especially in Port-au-Prince and its metropolitan area), many of whom are either former members of the Haitian Armed Forces (disbanded by Aristide in 1995 The
2006 elections in Haiti, to replace the interim government of Latortue established after the 2004 Haitian coup d'état, were delayed four times after having been originally scheduled for October and November 2005. The elections finally took place on 7 February 2006. The 129 member
Haitian Parliament was also elected at this election. Run-off elections for the
Chamber of Deputies of Haiti were held on 21 April 2006. In June 2006, Latortue was succeeded by
Jacques-Édouard Alexis. Latortue was the head of the observer mission of
La Francophonie in
Togo for that country's
October 2007 parliamentary election. ==Personal life and death==