Photos

Here is a picture describing the involvement of the international community in Haiti Election

Although, the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) is working actively, but it is yet to announce the exact election budget. However, Pierre-Louis Opont, the President of the CEP is of opinion that it could be somewhere between $50 to $60 million-- the most expensive election ever made in Haiti. The CEP has identified the fund needed and it is up to the Haitian State to decide and make necessary arrangement for the same. The Electoral Council is not empowered to determine the cost of the election. However, Pierre-Louis Opont believes that the government should make the decided amount public in the coming days. As per the statement of Sophie de Caen, the Nouvelliste UNDP director in Haiti, the commitment of international donors for the realization of election is little more than $38 million. At the moment 37.9 million dollars have already been confirmed in the following manner: Haitian government $13.8 million, European Union $6.8 million, U.S $6.5 million, Canada $5.3 million, Japan $4.5 million and Brazil $1.00 million. Whatever is the final amount, as per the agreement with the Haitian State, United Nations Development Program (UNDP) would manage the fund.

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As per a report dated March 30, 2015, the former Senator Edmonde Supplice Beauzile and the President of the Fusion of Social Democrats has expressed her willingness to represent her party in the next presidential elections and has announced her candidacy for the nomination of Fusion. The list of other candidates from Fusion des Socio-démocrates will be decided during its 10th anniversary celebration between April 22 and 25 or during a conference scheduled to be held in May 11 to 20, 2015. She has welcomed the progressive efforts made by the electoral council, especially in reevaluating the Departmental and Communal Electoral Offices (BEDs and BECs). She has demanded some changes at the BED of the Centre Department, who are responsible to organize, manage and monitor the electoral process and to solve procedural challenges presented by political parties in a timely manner.

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Here is a picture of the van that killed eight Haitian church members in crash in Florida in march, 2015

On the early morning of March 30, 2015, a Florida church van full of parishioners crashed after the driver apparently missed a stop sign at an unlit T-intersection surrounded by farmland on a very steep embankment, sending the vehicle across four lanes and plunging through tall grasses into a shallow canal. The crash killed the male driver and seven passengers-- four male and three female, eighteen people were in the 15-seat-capacity van when it crashed about 12:30 a.m.. Ten other passengers were taken to the hospital for treatment of whom one is a 4- year old child. People traveling in the van came from Fort Pierce, who were returning to the Independent Haitian Assembly of God after celebrating Palm Sunday trip in a Fort Myers church and were preparing for the upcoming Easter holiday after a recent fast. The police is investing the exact cause of the accident.

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Haitian children attending school in Dominican Republic

Since 2010, the number of foreign students in Dominican pre-universities and universities whether it is private, semi-public or public, has been increased significantly and the majority of them are Haitians. At the pre-university level, out of the total 67,000 students, 44,000 (65.7%) students are Haitian and more than 12,000 Haitian students are presently studying in Dominican Universities. The statistics as per 2013 Planning Department of the Ministry of Education Dominican, on the number of Haitian students studying at Pre-university schools reveal that: in public school 37,567, private schools 6,148, and semi-official 595. The percentage of foreign students from 25 countries in the DR is 34.3% and its leading contributors are: United States (12,519), Spain (1,753), Puerto Rico (1,468) and that is followed by other countries like Venezuela, Italy, Cuba, Panama, Germany, China, Peru, Denmark, Russia, Brazil and 560 students come from other countries for a grand total of 67.423 foreign students (pre-university sector).

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The candidates for OPL primary include: Francois Anick Joseph, Sauveur Pierre Etienne, Edgard Leblanc Fils,Francisco Delacruz

On Friday, March 28, 2015, the Organization of People in the Struggle (OPL, Organisation du Peuple en Lutte) has submitted four names as nominations for the President of the Republic of Haiti (POH). These four registrants are: present Senators Francois Anick Joseph and Francesco Delacruz, Party Coordinator, Professor Sauveur Pierre Etienne, and former coordinator Edgard Leblanc Fils. Neither of the primary candidates have disclosed their visions publicly, but it is expected that that will remain consistent with the policy line of the OPL as the party dubs itself as "the most organized among the political parties in Haiti". Recently, on an FM radio interview, Sauveur Pierre Etienne has said that this is the first time ever in the history of Haiti that a political party will hold primaries for a presidential election.

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A delegation from Haiti's Ministry of Tourism and Creative Industries represented the tourism products of the country under the leadership of Minister Stephanie Villedrouin at ITB Berlin 2015 between March 4 to 8, 2015. The ITB (short for Internationale Tourismus Börse, started in 1966) is the world's largest travel trade show where every year, over 10,000 exhibitors from 186 countries present dream destinations around the world - from Zimbabwe to Albania. It covers all aspects of travel and tourism: countries, airlines, hotels, tour operators, booking system, and other businesses. They not only promote themselves but at the same time, inspire wanderlust. Haitian team was represented by 4 artisans and 2 tourism companies, who were immensely benefited through interaction with their foreign counterparts. The European Union under the 10th European Development Fund (EDF) also supports similar efforts through Caribbean Export within the framework of the Haiti/Dominican Republic Binational Program.

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Here is a picture of the new Secretary of State for Public Security in Haiti, Hadrian Cyril Woel

On Wednesday, April 1, 2015, Pierre-Richard Casimir, the Minister of Justice proceeded with the installation of Hadrian Cyril Woel as the new Secretary of State for Public Security, replacing Colonel Pierre Estanislas Cantave Neptune. He has held his office since April 3, 2014, and has been named as the Coordinator of the National Council for the Fight against Drugs (CONALD). The Minister of Justice while installing the new Secretary of State has reminded him the complexity of the new position, especially in the light of the upcoming election. The Minister has also asked Godson Orélus, the Director General of the National Police of Haiti (PNH) to cooperate and create synergy necessary for maintaining a secure environment in the country. The new Secretary has affirmed his willingness to work ceaselessly with all concerned authority and deliver concrete results for the benefit of the population. The Minister Casimir (MJSP) was further accompanied by the Director General of the Ministry, President of the Municipal Council of Port-au-Prince and the Chief of Staff of the Minister.

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Here is ia picture where Daly Valet officially loined plateforme Pitit Dessalines of Moise Jean Charles and Assad Volcy

Recently, in the first week of April, 2015, journalist Daly Valet has announced his decision to join the platform of Pitit Desalin, an ideology based political coalition embodied by former Senator Moïse Jean-Charles. It is not sure whether Daly Valet will be a candidate for the upcoming election, furthermore, it was never clear before whether Daly Valet is a sympathizer or a member of the opposition. He was one of the journalists who met the President Martelly in December 2014 as part of a series of consultations on the political crisis in Haiti and guided him to the poor state of the country before his presidency. However, this platform has accumulated some fierce opponents of President Martelly. Pitit Desalin, is a political union of popular democratic organizations and it includes FOPARC; the platform has been created by former Senator Moïse Jean-Charles, who wants nothing but to remove President Martelly from power by any means.

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Here is a picture of Aérogare Guy Malary, also known as Guy Malary Terminal

On Wednesday, April 1, 2015, Rothchild François Junior, the Minister of Communication, accompanying Pierre André Laguerre, the Director General of the National Airport Authority (AAN), paid a visit to the Terminal Guy Malary to inquire into the progress on the modernization work of its infrastructure. This 1,700 square meter facility, located at the Toussaint L'Ouverture International Airport, in Tabarre, near Port-au-Prince, is taking a new shape with a federal disbursement of $6 million; it will have a capacity to serve 100 passengers during the peak hours with a flow of 1,200 passengers per day. The Guy Malary Terminal (named after former Haitian Justice Minister Guy Malary), located on the northern outskirts of Port-au-Prince would be used for domestic flights.

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Here is a picture of journalist Marc Elie Pierre of Radio Mélodie FM

On the evening of Thursday, April 2, 2015 when Marc Elie Pierre, a young journalist from the Radio Mélodie FM 103.3 was returning home from the beach and boarded a public transportation vehicle, camionette, in the locality of Paloma, as he usually did in the evening, he was shot multiple times and was killed on the spot. Upon mounting the vehicle, two or more armed unidentified individuals on a motorcycle opened fire at point blank range to the young journalist, several times. Marc Elie Pierre was well known for his Saturday musical show on 103.3 FM Radio.
Marc is survived by his wife and two young sons, 5 years and 1 year.

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