Photos

Here is a picture of Assad Volcy from Pitit Desalin and the New Provisional President Jocelerme Privert at the National Palace.

Assad Volcy, the General Secretary of the Haitian party Pitit Dessalines, was one of the Martelly's strongest oppositions who never wanted to settle for anything less than the resignation of President Michel Martelly. On 23 December 2015, he even rejected the new Electoral Assessment Commission created by Martelly after the postponement of October 25, 2015 election. When Privert took charge as the provisional president and called private sector representatives, the personalities of the Lavalas movement and the irascible opponents of Michel Martelly at the National Palace to build a national consensus to continue the election, Assad was looking like a victorious soldier. He said, the country is entering a "new political dynamic."Jocelerme Privert has made required commitments to the Audit Commission to complete the electoral process. The crisis would be resolved. Assad believes, for those who want justice, the transitional government would shed light on the management of Martelly administration.

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Here is a picture of Lilianne Pierre-Paul, reporter for Radio Haiti International in the 1980s.

The relentless efforts to expose social problems and injustice have always forced Lilianne Pierre-Paul to remain the most outspoken critic of the government since the final days of the Duvalier regime. Lilianne is the star reporter of 'Radio Haiti International and Radio Kiskeya'. She is a pride of the Haitian society, President of the Association of Haitian Media and also the leading reporter and a regular host of Radio Kiskeya. In recent times, she was vocal against all irregularities and election frauds of Martelly administration as well. Her bold reporting curtailed the Pierre-Paul's movement, she was imprisoned for her views on governments, faced numerous death threats and she was on several hit lists. Many times, her entry was prohibited from entering certain government buildings and Lilianne was sent on a six-year exile in Venezuela and Curacao-- but she has always refused to remain silent. Her devotion and commitment helped her to win the 'Courage Journalism Award' in 1990 by the International Women's Media Foundation (IWMF). She won the 'Roc Cadet SOS Freedom Prize' in 2014. On December 13, 2012, she was honored by the 'Havana Guitar Show'.

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Here is a picture of President Michel Martelly crying as he spent hi final moments in Office as President of Haiti.

President Michel Martelly made his 20- minute farewell address to the Haitians while leaving his office on February 7, 2016. In his speech before the parliament, he said one of his biggest regrets was that the presidential election could not be completed. He thanked those who accompanied him, defended his family against accusations of embezzlement. He said, people will remember that once there was a certain Michel Joseph Martelly who loved, gave, and built. He has worked night and day for the country and is ready to answer before the court of history. During the final moments in the office, he became emotional; drops of tears were shining in his eyes.

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Haitian criminal can not be accused for lack of creativity. Here is an example where crime moves from seduction to Kidnapping,

Haitian kidnappers have innovated a new trick to deceive citizens for ransom. Some of their accomplices are girls, who seduce boys in the discotheques and propose them to go out with them. When the boys agree, the girls lead them to their accomplice kidnappers. Recently, on February 20, 2016, the Deputy Spokesman of National Police of Haiti Inspector Gary Desrosiers has alerted citizens to remain cautious of this new strategy used by the bandits of kidnapping rings. We might remember that Haiti successfully curbed its kidnapping rate in the early 2014 since the United Nations provided anti-kidnapping support led by Robert Arce, a veteran American cop and law enforcement consultant. Within a tight limited budget and a span of two years, Arce introduced cell phone log exploitation, community policing, and some cultural diplomacy to track criminals. Now, the criminals are innovating new ways to resurface again.

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Here is a picture of President Jocelerme Privert and wife Ginette M.PRIVERT.

On Tuesday, February 23, 2016, Dr. Ginette Michaud Privert, the first lady of the republic, visited the construction site of the Faculty of Medicine. The 2010 earthquake caused severe damage to this Haiti's medical school. A Canadian coalition, initiated by the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada (AFMC), in collaboration with other medical groups is working to rebuild it. The First Lady was accompanied by Dr. Max Rudolph St-Albin, Director General of the Office of Industrial Accidents Insurance, Sickness and Maternity (OFATMA). On the next day, she paid a courtesy visit to the Embassy of Haiti in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and met Ambassador Magali Jeanty Magloire. Her husband, Jocelerme Privert, the present interim President was a former Interior Minister and the President of the Senate Committee on Economy and Finance.

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New US Visas and scholarships scam targeting Haitians. On February 22, 2016, a note of caution has been issued by the US Embassy in Haiti alerting the Haitian people who are seeking U.S visa or intend to apply for U.S scholarship over the internet. A group of racketeers using Sophia Martelly's name, is falsely claiming that they can arrange both. They are using the following email addresses: (i) ambassadeamericaine.haiti@yahoo.com; (ii) unmaria51@gmail.com, with a point of contact named Samuel at +509-3990-6218 and an accountant named Evelia Jean Charles. The note issued advises people to stay away from these racketeers and every aspiring individual must know that the US Embassy never authorize any person or group to arrange US visa or scholarship. The only way to get them is through a direct contact and application to the US Embassy.

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Here is a picture of Senator Jean Baptiste Bien-Aime. On February 24, 2016, Senator Jean-Baptiste Bien-Aimé unearthed another scam. As per his source report, Emmanuel Ménard, the director of the National Old-Age Insurance Office (ONA) in a letter dated 18 January 2016, instructed the Republic Bank of Haiti to transfer huge sums favoring an account of the Unibank SA (A/c No: 102-1011-301-898). The transfer of the sum, as per his description was initiated by the Tet Kale team, intended to bribe the parliamentarians to ensure their party's continuity in power. On the same day, there was another estimated billion gourdes transfer to an account of the BRH (A/c No: 131-669-799). There was another suspicious transfer of funds amounting $20 million to an Israeli firm. The reasons of all these transfers of public money were never properly disclosed and thus they call for a serious investigation.

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Here is a picture of Leopold Berlanger who is back at the CEP, representing Media sector.

On February 24, 2016, Leopold Berlanger (born 1955), the Director of Radio Vision 2000 and a former electoral adviser has been selected as a member of the 9-member Provisional Electoral Council (CEP), representing the media sector. Leopold, a brilliant student in his studies, completed his graduation in Earth Sciences (Netherland), Doctorate in Social Sciences, and Regional Planning and Development planning (both from Sorbonne, Paris). He has a varied and diverse experience in activities of civic and social characters. One of the several organizations that supported his nomination was Association of National Haitian Media (ANMH) headed by Mr. Herold Jean Francois. In April 2013, he was designated by the CEPJ (Superior Council of the Judiciary) to be a part of the CTCEP (Permanent Electoral Council). Leopold is an active member in many international election observation missions with the OAS.

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Here is a picture of Dr. C. Reynold Verret, Haitian-American and President of Xavier University of Louisiana

On May 14, 2015, the Board of Trustees of Xavier University of Louisiana (XULA) unanimously elected C. Reynold Verret as the university's next president as a replacement for its longtime president Norman Francis, who held the post for long 47 years and helped establish Xavier as a premier historically black university. As the new president, Verret has taken charge of his new office since July 1, 2015. Dr. C. Reynold Verret is a native of Haiti, holds a Ph.D. in biochemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He arrived in New York in 1963 as a refugee, served as a postdoctoral fellow at the Howard Hughes Institute for Immunology at Yale University and the Center for Cancer Research at MIT. He has earlier experience with Historically Black College and Universities. He was the Provost and Chief Academic Officer at Savannah State, Georgia's first historically Black college, since 2012. He has an outstanding STEM (an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics education) background.

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Here is a picture of Haiti's provisional president Jocelerme Privert with appointed prime minister Fritz Jean on February 26, 2016 during his investiture ceremony.

In his acceptance speech, Jean has acknowledged that his task is huge. It is a lot more than creating the necessary conditions to hold a free, fair and credible presidential election; simultaneously, he has to re-establish the macro- economic stability in the country. Jean has also said that the country is facing serious social and economic difficulties. We must set aside our differences for the sake of the country. Jean as a person is more technocrat than a politician. He was tapped by Privert for the number two job in the administration after two weeks of consultations with political and civic leaders.

However, the appointment of Fritz, Jean as the new Prime Minister is not free from controversies. As per amended Haitian constitution (1987), a Prime Minister must get a vote of confidence from the parliament. Some members from the Martelly's camp are arguing that Jean is neither apolitical nor the consensus prime minister that the accord demands. He and the interim President Jocelerme Privert have the same political root (Fanmi Lavalas Party). However, some analysts are of opinion that Jean's selection is a sign of Privert's optimism that the provisional government could play a larger role than merely organizing elections.

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