PORT-AU-PRINCE -- As Haiti's lawmakers appeared poised to reject a last-minute plea from Prime Minister Michele Pierre-Louis to delay Thursday's vote to oust her, the international community appeared resigned to accept her likely dismissal.

Meanwhile, Haitian President René Préval, who dined with former Prime Minister Jacques-Edouard Alexis and Central Bank Governor Charles Castel on Tuesday, continued to distance himself from the move by a small but powerful group of senators to remove Pierre-Louis. The senators have said that she has moved too slowly to solve Haiti's problems.

Pierre-Louis replaced Alexis 13 months ago, and Préval has confirmed to Haitian politicians and foreign diplomats that he has already chosen a replacement: Jean-Max Bellerive, minister of Planning and External Cooperation.

Bellerive, who has worked in the government for the past two decades, is well-known among the international community.

According to several sources, Pierre-Louis tried unsuccessfully with Préval and lawmakers to delay the proceedings on her tenure. In meetings with the foreign diplomats, Préval has said he doesn't control lawmakers and prolonging the inevitable would only invite instability. On Wednesday, Pierre-Louis continued to consult with advisers, debating whether to appear before parliament or allow them to decide her fate without her. But even as diplomats reiterated their support for Pierre-Louis, their message was clear: Move quickly. Robert Fatton, a University of Virginia politics professor and Haiti expert, said he's not surprised.

``The international community wants stability, predictability, and a government favorable to Bill Clinton's business investment project,'' Fatton said. ``Whether it's Miche`le Pierre-Louis or not is irrelevant especially since she has no political base. If Préval can deliver a new government without delay, the U.S., Canada, and France will accept the change. Miche`le Pierre-Louis is simply expendable.''

But Pierre-Louis is refusing to leave without a fight -- even if she is a no-show Thursday. In a speech to the nation Tuesday, she questioned senators' methods, saying: ``I regret that the parliamentarians did this the old fashion way: waited for my absence from the country to deliver a letter. They could have done it in a more elegant manner.''

She also defended herself against accusations by some lawmakers that she mismanaged $197 million from Hugo Chávez Petrocaribe discounted oil savings to rebuild roads and public buildings following last year's series of storms. She has publicly called for three independent audits in an attempt to clear her name.

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