Albert Ramdin, assistant secretary general of the Organization of American States, said everyone recognizes that Haiti faces enormous challenges.

``Putting the bar very high will lead to disappointment,'' he said.

Ramdin also called on the country's political class to act quickly to get a new government in place.

``While the domestic situation is the responsibility of the domestic authorities, we should recognize the international community has invested a lot in the security, and democracy in Haiti,'' Ramdin told The Miami Herald. ``We would hope that the gains made over the past years in terms of stability, democracy and renewed interest of the international community will continue.''

The final decision will be up to Haiti's lawmakers, who despite international pressure, still moved ahead with their decision to fire Pierre-Louis.

Micha Gaillard, spokesman for the opposition Fusion political party, said that relationship became Pierre-Louis' undoing.

``The error of Michèle is that she depended only on the international community. She did not look to build alliances in other sectors domestically. And the international community's error is they depended solely on Michèle,'' Gaillard said. ``We should not panic. We have made a lot of effort toward stability, and it is now up to Préval.''

Still, others say if Haiti is to progress it must begin to show signs that it is truly moving forward. For one, says Joel Boutroue, the United Nations aid coordinator in Haiti, there cannot be investment without development.

``Very, very quickly the new prime minister needs to have a dialogue with us, in the international community, so that we cement very quickly the real priorities of the country,'' he said. ``We all are talking different priorities.''

Boutroue has unsuccessfully pushed for social programs to help reduce Haitians vulnerabilities to external issues, such as the current global financial crisis, and the four storms that battered the country last year.

``By only focusing on investments, roads and infrastructure, we are putting the cart before the horse,'' he said. ``I am not saying they are not needed but if we don't invest in the people, and make the country more resilient, we can talk ad nauseum about investments. Let's focus on the root of the causes of the situation, on building a strong state that can really deliver.''