Haiti entered a new era of governance on Thursday with the official installation of a new nine-member presidential council in a two-part ceremony in the country’s gang-ridden capital.

In a last-minute decision, members opted to secretly take the oath of office on the grounds of the National Palace — which has been under constant attack by armed gangs — after initially deciding the security risks were too great.

The intimate ceremony included red-and-blue banners — the colors of the Haitian flag — a podium with the presidential seal and the palace police band playing the national anthem to welcome the new transition.

The mostly all-male council with two non-voting members is tasked with forging a path out of the complex crisis, which has led to thousands of deaths and the destruction of public and private property, and leading Haiti to eventual elections.

As the ceremony wrapped up Thursday morning and council members prepared to make their way across town to the previously announced public ceremony at the former offices of the prime minister, the official resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry and his cabinet was made public.

In his last council of ministers meeting on Wednesday night, Henry informed his cabinet he would not stay around for the transition and, after two months of being locked out of Haiti, he was stepping down as of Thursday’s swearing-in and would name Finance Minister Michel Patrick Boisvert as interim prime minister. The resignation of government ministers, other than Boisvert, leaves a political vacuum as Haiti continues to struggle with a worsening security and humanitarian crisis.

Though no incidents were reported during either ceremony, there was nonstop shooting in downtown Port-au-Prince for more than three hours. In welcoming the council’s official installation, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, through his spokesman, called on the new authorities to expedite the transitional governing arrangements.

During the public event, Boisvert said Haiti finds itself at a crossroads in search of a solution to a crisis that has had grave consequences for its nearly 12 million people.

“The situation is serious,” he said.

After two long months of dialogue and debate, and with the support of the international community, Boisvert said, “a solution was reached” among Haiti’s political and civic groups, with the help of the Caribbean Community.

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