The council was first established on February 7, 1986, as a joint military and civilian provisional government following the exile of President for life Jean-Claude Duvalier, at the height of the anti-Duvalier protest movement.
The council, under the presidency of Lieutenant General Henri Namphy, consisted of five members, three from the military and two civilians.
The military members were Colonels Williams Régala, Max Valles, and Prosper Avril.
During its short life, the council took two important actions: it dissolved President Duvalier's paramilitary forces, the Tonton Macoute (French: Volontaires de la Sécurité Nationale, VSN) on February 15, and restored the blue and red flag of Haiti on February 17.
The two remaining men of the first council, Henri Namphy and Williams Régala, kept their positions.