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Senators and deputies

Partial list of privileges enjoyed by Government officials in Haiti

Partial list of privileges enjoyed by Government officials in Haiti

Haitian Government very generous toward his public servants, not his citizens

Do you know that each Haitian Senator costs Haitian Tax payers: $2,000,000.00 US a year, There are 30 Senator's seats for $60,000,000.00 a year.

The official residence for the Senate Speaker at Thomassin 25, costs the tax payers about $112,500.00 US annually in rent.

Did you know that each Haitian Deputy costs the Government $500,000 US a year. There are 119 deputies for $59,500,000

The residence occupied by the director general of the PNH cost the Haitian State about $96,000 US dollars a year.

The government under the Office of the Prime Minister is composed of the Prime Minister and several Cabinet Ministers. The Prime Minister has an official residence paid by the tax payers. amount unknown. Each minister receives $5,000.00 US monthly for a second residence or $60,000.00 a year. There are 20 Ministers for $1,200,000.00

A news in July recently ignited the social networks that the official residence of Senate Speaker Joseph Lambert at Thomassin 25, is costing 7.2 million gourdes (7,280,000 gourdes) annually. According to Senator Ricard Pierre, Joseph Lambert has paid the rent of his official residence, a sum of about 8 million gourdes for a year. These millions have been taken from the pockets of the poor Haitian citizens through the Senate budget. In response, Senate Speaker Joseph Lambert summoned accredited journalists to Parliament on July 16, 2018 and explained, if the Republic pays for an official residence for the head of state, an official residence for the prime minister, even the chief of police has an official residence, why not one for the president of the National Assembly, who is the second personage of the Republic. Is it not a matter of prestige?"

He justified his statement with a reference by reading the minutes of the Conference of Presidents held on Monday, March 5, 2018. This recording of the minutes was proposed by Artibonite's Carl Murat Cantave in the conference of presidents. Cantave had proposed that the Senate of the Republic should pay for an official residence for its president. His proposal was seconded for validation by Senators "Denis Cadeau, Onondieu Louis, Nawoon Marcellus, Jean Renel Sénatus, Ronald Lareche, Dieudonne Luma Etienne, Richard Lenine Herve Fourcand, Jacques Sauveur Jean, Yurt Latortue, Gracia Delva, Jean Rigaud Belizaire, Jean Marie Ralph Fethiere, Kedlaire Augustin, Saurel Jacinthe and Joseph Lambert. According to Joseph Lambert, these senators unanimously "approved and instructed the office for necessary follow-up". During that conference, Senator Cantave also proposed that the Senate Speaker should have his own procession involving vanguard and rearguard and be preceded by two motorcycles mounted by police officers in uniform. However, Joseph Lambert dismissed that for fear of criticisms.

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Senators offer two Months paychecks for Haiti election

Senators offer two Months paychecks for Haiti election

Here is a Cartoon describinf the effect of a decision by twelve Senators supporting Jocelerme Privert to offer two Months paychecks for realization of election in Haiti in 2016.

Through a recent statement from the U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby, it has been affirmed that the United States would not finance Haiti's presidential election in the next October, as it was not planned within its appropriated budget. We might remember that in Haiti's 2015 presidential elections, the United States, along with other international bodies, provided a total of $38 million to the Provisional Electoral Council, CEP. The decision to cease funding Haiti's election could be linked to the political turmoil that was consequential to the fraudulent elections. Twelve Senators currently supporting Jocelerme Privert have written to the Prime Minister Enex Jean Charles, requesting to order Finance to hold their paychecks for the months of August and September to contribute the upcoming elections to ensure that the upcoming elections can be funded with Haitian money. The U.S decision to cease funding could be a blessing in disguise, because historically, external fundings have influenced Haitian internal matters badly. These twelve Senators are: Nenel Cassy, Evalliere Beauplan, Ricard Pierre, Francisco Delaruz, Francois Lucas Saintvil, Steven Irvenson Benoit, Francenet Denius, Jean Baptiste Bien-Aime, Wetsner Polycarpe, Fritz Carlos Lebon, Ronald Lareche and Antonio 'Don Kato' Cheramy.

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The elected senators of the 50th Legislature in Haiti

The elected senators of the 50th Legislature in Haiti

The elected senators sworn on Tuesday, January 12, 2016.

On January 12, 2016, fourteen newly elected Senators were sworn and received their scarves at the Senate of the Republic in the presence of the Andris Riché, the President of the Upper House. Andris Riché, during his speech for the occasion, regretted on the absence of woman among the elected Senators. Two validation committees were appointed to verify the documents of the elected representatives. Out of the 14 new elected Senators, the validation of two Senators, Youri Latortue (President, Ayiti An Aksyon) and Jean Renel Sénatus (League Dessalinienne) have been deferred. The commission has requested clearance from the CEP on the pretext that they were improperly elected. In Haiti, the Senate has 30 members, three per department; they are elected by popular vote to serve 6-year terms and one-third of the Senate is elected every two years. However, it has been operating with only 20 of 30 seats filled due to cancelled elections. Six more Senators will join the presently 14 elected Senators after the next by-election. The names of the political parties and platforms from which these 14 Senators were elected are: Konvansyon Inite Demokratik (KID) - 3; Vérité platform (co-founded by René Préval) - 3; PHTK (Parti Haïtien Tèt Kale) - 2; and various trends parties having single representatives - 6.

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Jocelerme Privert is the Senator of the Nippes Department

Jocelerme Privert is the Senator of the Nippes Department

Here is a picture of Jocelerme Privert, Senator of the Nippes Department.

Jocelerme Privert (born February 1, 1954), a native of Petit-Trou de Nippes, is one of the ten Senators in office since the Senate became defunct in January 2015. He is one of the most experienced persons in the Haitian political landscape who had assumed several esteemed portfolios like, the former Director General of Taxation, Minister of Interior and Territorial Communities, an interior minister under Aristide, State Secretary for Finance and an advisor of President Rene Preval. On January 14, 2016, he has been elected as the President of the Senate by defeating Youri Latortue from Ayiti An Aksyon (AAA). There are currently 24 sitting members of Haiti's 30-seat upper house. Privert (INITE) obtained 15 votes, there were seven abstentions and two Senators (Sen. Youri Latortue, an adviser to Martelly, who withdrew himself from the President of the Senate contest and another Senator) left the chambers before the vote. Privert has mentioned his prioritized areas of work as President. They are: a permanent Electoral Council, picking the next head of the PNH, a Constitutional Court, and board of the Central Bank.

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Deputies Caleb Desrameaux and Gracia Delva

Deputies Caleb Desrameaux and Gracia Delva

Here Deputies Caleb Desrameaux and Gracia Delva.

Gracia Delva (born June 9, 1972) is a winning candidate for Deputy from Marchand Dessalines (Artibonite) under Haitian Tet Kale (PHTK) banner. He secured 61.06% of the votes in the August 9, 2015 election against his other contenders. He is a singer, Konpa maestro, actor, former MP, better known by his stage name as singer Gracia Delva Marchand-Dessalines. Gracia is one of the 8 members, including 4 PHTK candidates who were elected in the first round of election. His application for candidacy was initially rejected for delayed submission of "title to authentication". Caleb J. Desrameaux is a winning candidate for Deputy from Tabarre under VERITE banner. He is a TV star and radio personality with many appearances in movies and documentaries. Caleb is a former Communications Director of the Ministry of Tourism and Executive Director of TNH (Television Nationale D'Haiti) and he is a self proclaimed "Deputy of Culture". During his election campaign he had stressed that if he comes out as an elected Deputy, he will work to implement policies for the benefit of the youth.

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Antonio Cheramy, Senator of Ouest

Antonio Cheramy, Senator of Ouest

Here is a picture of Antonio Cheramy, Senator of Ouest.

The presidential run-off pitting Jude Celestin against the Martelly-backed candidate, Jovenel Moise, on December 27th has Haitians nervous. They fear more fraud at the polls will hand the election to Moise, who will continue Martelly's policies.

There was joy in one quarter though concerning election results. Germain Alexandre of Petit-Goâve won a seat in the Chamber of Deputies with 64.88% of the vote over his rival Jacques Stevenson Thimoleon, who captured only 34.40%.

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Dieupie Cherubin, Senator Sud-Est

Dieupie Cherubin, Senator Sud-Est

Here is a picture of Dieupie Cherubin, Senator of Sud-Est.

Two rounds of legislative elections were held on August 9th and October 25th, to try and seat 20 senators and 119 deputies. The 5.8 million voters failed to elect any one party as the majority party in Parliament. Part of this failure to achieve a majority in Parliament could be due to the cancellation of the first round of voting in almost 25% of constituencies. Cancellation occurred because of violence at the polling stations. A 72-hour window of opportunity is the time period during which parties can dispute the preliminary results. Final results will be released November 22nd.

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Nenel Cassy, Senator Nippes

Nenel Cassy, Senator Nippes

Here is a picture of Nenel Cassy, Senator Nippes.

Parliamentary elections held its second round of voting on October 25th but the preliminary results revealed none of the parties achieved a definite majority. Parliament has not been in session since January 13th of 2015. A constitutional crisis occurred when the Martelly government and the opposition could not come to an agreement to hold elections before January 12th. Parliament was forced to disband, and Martelly has ruled by presidential decree ever since.

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Onondieu Louis, First senator of Nord Ouest

Onondieu Louis, First senator of Nord Ouest

Here is a picture of Onondieu Louis, First senator of Nord Ouest.

The G8 presidential candidates, standing for 49.8% of votes cast, issued a group statement, criticizing the preliminary results as anti-democratic due to suspicions of fraudulent activity, including missing ballots. They say CEP should have organized a non-partisan investigative commission to uncover the many instances of voter fraud, including ballot stuffing, to produce an accurate count.

The G8 said the preliminary results harken back to the time when ". . . official election of dictatorial regimes organized under the leadership of the Ministry of the Interior . . ." posed the threat of destabilizing the island.

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Carl Murat Cantave, First Senator of Artibonite

Carl Murat Cantave, First Senator of Artibonite

Here is a picture of Carl Murat Cantave, First Senator of Artibonite.

Eight out of a field of 54 presidential candidates condemned the massive fraud, which provoked random displays of violence in the streets, including at least one shooting. Jude Celestin's supporters waved placards on which were written "Jude or Death". They claimed fraudulence happening during the balloting was aimed at ensuring Jovenel Moise led with the largest share of the vote, 32.81% over second place Celestin at 25.27%.

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