HAITI’S presidency and premiership were handed to private businessmen on Thursday as part of a project that will supposedly restore state authority.

Laurent Saint-Cyr, a former president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Haiti, now heads the transitional presidential council, while former president of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Alix Didier Fils-Aime has become prime minister.

The rotating positions will be exchanged between private-sector businessmen and public servants in the scheme, which is billed as bringing together Haitian society to defeat the violent gangs that control 90 per cent of the capital Port-au-Prince.

“We must restore state authority,” Mr Saint-Cyr declared, calling for an intensified crackdown on gangs by the armed forces and for more foreign troops to be sent in to help.

But a powerful gang leader, Jimmy Cherizier — or “Barbecue” — of the Viv Ansanm militia, posted a video on social media calling on Port-au-Prince residents and troops not to block his fighters’ progress towards the presidential council offices so that they could overthrow the government.

“People of Haiti, take care of yourselves and help us … in the battle to free the country,” Mr Cherizier said.

A United Nations-backed mission led by Kenyan police said it had stepped up round-the-clock patrols to stop attacks on the new national leadership.

Supporters and opponents of Mr Saint-Cyr rallied in the city centre.

Marline Jean-Pierre, visiting a friend in hospital, said bringing in private businessmen would cement the power of crooked elites, which are themselves hand in glove with armed gangs.

“The elites have always wanted power, and they have always wanted to control Haiti, and now they’re in control,” she said.