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Here is the new Commission of electoral evaluation which was finally installed

On December 22, 2015, at the Hotel Kinam in Petionville, Prime Minister Evans Paul initiated the installation of five members Electoral Evaluation Commission. The commission would assess and advice on the conditions of the country's remaining presidential electoral process scheduled to be held on January 17, 2016. The members of the commission are: Mgr Patrick Aris, the Mambo Euvonie Georges Auguste, the Pastor Armand Louis, Rosny Desroches and Me Gédéon Jean. Since the election has been deferred and some of the members of the commission and their political platforms were reluctant to participate, the commission has been reorganized. The earlier members of the commissions Joseph Emmanuel Charlemagne and Anthony Pascal have been replaced by Me Gédéon Jean (representing the human rights sector) and the Pastor Louis Armand (representing the Protestant Church). The commission's reporting period has been extended to 8 days (from December 22nd) from earlier 3 days.

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Here is the winning logo for Nou tout sanble, menm lè nou diferan

On Monday, December 21, 2015, as part of the second civic education campaign, Nesmy Manigat, the Minister of National Education, launched the music and literary contest "Nou tout sanble, menm lè nou diferan" in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Civic Action. The music and literary competitions and a DJ contest at the national level was launched in the presence of several artists such as, Roosevelt Saillant aka "BIC" Eunide Édouarin aka "Princess Eud "and K-Libr. At the first phase of this initiative, Neyssa T. Demorcy (17 year old), a student of the Institution of the Sacred heart of Turgeau won the competition logo placed in the framework of the campaign "Nou Tout Sanble, menm lè nou diferan", defeating five other competitors. The first phase of the competition started in October 2015. The objective of the program was to incorporate values among the youth so that they understand the value of togetherness, respect and search for excellence.

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Here is a picture of Mgr. Patrick Aris, spokesman for the Episcopal Conference

The design of the reconstructed new Cathedral of Port-au-Prince has been submitted in the last week of December. The Archdiocese of Port-au-Prince, responsible for the reconstruction has said that the construction work of a transitional church, on the space of the former Cathedral of street Docteur Aubry is underway. According to Mgr Patrick Aris, Vicar and Chancellor of the Archdiocese, the transitional church will be used throughout the reconstruction period so that the Bishop can continue to celebrate the religious services in place of the Notre Dame Cathedral. Cathedral of Street Docteur Aubry was destroyed by a fire in 1991. The design for the new cathedral was chosen following a competition organized by the University Of Miami School Of Architecture, in partnership with the Archdiocese of Port-au-Prince and Faith and Form Magazine; 250 architects from around the world presented 134 project designs in the last year (2014). At a cost of $1 million, the new church will have 2,000 seats and it is expected to be completed in 9 months.

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This ia s picture of three of the people suspected to be involved in the killing of Lencie Mirville

The officers from the Central Directorate of Judicial Police (DCPJ) have arrested four suspected kidnappers and murderers of Lencie S. Mirville, on the night of December 19. Lencie Mirville (23 years), a student of the University Quisqueya was kidnapped on December 3rd in Bizoton 51. Despite paying the ransom ($50,000) by her father, the girl's body was found on December 8th, disfigured and wrapped in a sheet at the bottom of a cliff in Morne Karaté. The four persons arrested in this connection by the police are: Desir Jebson aka "Sonson" or "Lapoula", (28 years), Barthelemy Edison (32 years), Jean Francky (42), and William B. Géraldy. The criminals have confessed their crime and the police have confiscated the car used in the kidnapping. One of the kidnappers, "Sonson" was an employee (car mechanic) of the victim's father, who is a pastor. The pastor never realized that "Sonson" was one of the kidnappers. The pastor had given him the ransom money to deliver the kidnappers. "Sonson", the killer of Lencie, to show his innocence, was present during the young girl's funeral and carried her coffin.

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Here is how President Michel Martelly has decided to end his presidency. Kanaval 2016 Sweet Miky, TI LILI (Liliane Pierre Paul)

As per Haitian proverb, if you add "Ti" before someone's name, you infer that, the person is a thief. When President Michel Martelly visited Radio Television Caraibes on May 16, 2013 for a program, he commented if Lilianne Pierre Paul terms 'Michel Martelly' as 'Sweet Micky', there would be nothing wrong for him to call her as "Ti lili." Liliane opened her criticism with a French proverb which means, 'comparison is not right, it proves nothing'. She said, Sweet Micky is the name that gave Martelly his musical career and his position as the Head of the State, whereas 'Lily' is a name that was affectionately given by her brother. Liliane Pierre-Paul is a pride of the Haitian society; she is the President of the Association of Haitian Media and also a star reporter and a regular host of Radio Kiskeya. She has remained vocal against all irregularities and election frauds, especially targeting Martelly's PHTK platform. Recently, the President Martelly has released his carnival meringue for 2016 targeting journalist Liliane Pierre-Paul. It is a shame for a man like his stature to display own displeasure and disrespect in such a vulgar manner. However, if he has chosen to mark the end of his government in this manner, not in a cohesive tone, it would a typically of his character.

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Here is a picture og Patrice Neveu, new national football coach of Haiti

On Saturday, December 19, 2015, Patrice Neveu, a French football coach and a former midfield player, has been appointed as the coach for the Haitian national team on a two year term, renewable at the will and satisfaction of the coach himself, and the Haitian Football Federation (FHF). He has replaced the former Haitian coach Marc Collat (from Martinique), who was fired for the team's poor performance in the last World Cup qualification campaign. The preferred formation of the new coach is 4-3-3, and his success rates as a coach with Wins/ Draws/, & Losses are, 46.2%/ 21.2%, & 32.6% respectively. Neveu took charge of the team for the first time in Miami on December 27, where 35 players from the Haitian team were assembled for a training camp. The new coach will be assisted by two French national coaches: Nicolas Santucci (goalkeeping coach) and Thomas Joubert (physical trainer). His previous engagement prior to this attachment in Haiti was with Mauritania since August 2014.

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Look at this picture, one of the kidnappers and killers of student Lencie Mirville attending her funeral

On December 19, 2015, the Central Directorate of Judicial Police (DCPJ) have arrested 4 individuals in connection with the kidnapping and murder of Lencie Mirville (23 years), a student of the University Quisqueya. Lencie was kidnapped on December 3rd in Bizoton 51. Her father is the owner of Bureau de change located in Carrefour. The kidnappers claimed $150,000 from him as ransom. However, her family managed to collect and pay only $50,000. The body of Lencie was found on December 8th, disfigured and wrapped in a sheet at the bottom of a cliff in Morne Karaté. The four persons arrested in this connection by the police are: Desir Jebson aka "Sonson" or "Lapoula", (28 years), Jean Francky (42), Barthelemy Edison (32 years), and William B. Géraldy. The police have also confiscated the car in which Lencie Mirville was kidnapped. The four individuals have confessed their crime. One of the kidnappers, "Sonson" was an employee of the victim's father. On the basis of his alleged loyalty to the young girl's family, Lencie's father had given him the ransom money to deliver the kidnappers. The girl's father, a pastor, never realized that "Sonson" was one of the kidnappers. "Sonson", the killer of Lencie, was even present during the young girl's funeral and carried her coffin.

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Traffic Safety and Road condition in Haiti

Traffic and road conditions in Haiti differ significantly from most other countries. Its road situations are better described as chaotic. Traffic bound roads are mostly shared by pedestrians and street vendors. Drivers use the side of the road, whichever is open to them and very few are aware of traffic rules and methods of signaling. Roads and lanes are rarely marked with traffic signs. There are very few operational traffic signs and lights. Detailed and accurate maps are hardly available. Huge potholes may instigate drivers to execute dangerous and unpredictable maneuvers in heavy traffic. Public transport is poor, marked taxis are almost nonexistent. People primarily depend on "tap-taps" that run on regular routes. A handful of public buses ply in the capital. Avoid open vehicles without seat belts, never ride motorcycle without helmet. Beware of small animals crossing the roads. Driving in Haiti calls for a lot of attention and patience.

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Here is a picture of Les Allumettes Haitiennes LAHSA Gonaives

Gonaives, a home of sixty thousand people, is famous for two products: malaria and matchsticks. 'Les Allumettes Haitiennes S.A', was a single match factory in Gonaives; it was a place where about 30 people were employed to make matchsticks from the planks of New Orleans aspen and Colombian poplar. The factory started with the dumped stock of Swedish and Czechoslovakian matches that arrived Gonaives by ship from Miami. 'Pierrot,' the last owner of 'Les Allumettes Haitiennes S.A' used to spend hours in the factory building full of phosphorus smells. He inherited the business from Pierre Léon St Rémy, his father, a great trader of Gonaives. The local residents still prefer to call this 1.4 acre match factory property by its old name "Les Allumettes Haitiennes SA". However, because of government corruption and civil unrest the business was forced to move to India 30 years ago. In India, it still produces 90% of the matches sold in Haiti today.

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Here is a picture of the cement plant in Gonaives, Siman Lakay

In an article published (August 2012 issue) in the Global Cement Magazine, it was said that Haiti is blessed with natural limestone, essential to produce good quality cement. However, so far Haiti was deprived of its natural advantage because there was no proper infrastructure or any investor to fund and realize such advantage. There is good news. With 'Siman Lakay', a $300 million project, Haiti can produce a good part of its requirements (4.5 million tons per year) and generate enough employment (about 2,200) of diversified skills. 'Siman Lakay' is a new cement plant, has a production capacity of 2 million tons per annum, going to be built in the "La Pierre" locality of Gonaives. The project has come into existence after more than one year's hard work and technical studies by Mr. Bestgen Jérôme, the Honorary Consul of Haiti in Belgium, and it could never have been possible without the support of foreign and Haitian investors.

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