haitian senate

Haitian lawmakers rejected President Michel Martelly's second choice for Haiti's Prime Minister. In a vot of 16 No and 14 Yes, the haitian Senate sent President Michel Martelly back to the drowing board to come up with yet another prime Minister designee.

This is something that many people were predicting as the bloc of 16 Senators remained firm in their decision not to accept the candidacy of Bernard Gousse for Prime Minister of Haiti.

Many people now are predicting that the President only has a few choices remaining and some of the names include: Jean Henry Céant Or Jean Max Bellerive?

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Here are some of the elected Haiti Elected parliamentaries picking-Up their Certificate at the CEP

The results of the first round presidential elections held on October 25, 2015, were published by the CEP on November 5, 2015. As per the CEP's announcement, the first four candidates were: Jovenel Moise, the government backed candidate from Haitian Tèt Kale Party, 511,992 or 32.8% votes, followed by Jude Celestin (LAPEH) 394,390 or 25.2% votes, Jean-Charles (Pitit Dessalines) 222,646 or 14.27% votes, and Dr. (Mrs.) Maryse Narcisse (Fanmi Lavalas) 108,844 or 7.05% votes. However, as per the electoral mandates, since none of the candidates could reach the 50% plus vote benchmark, or a lead over 25% votes as per Haitian Constitution and Electoral Decree, a second run-off was scheduled on December 25, 2015. Although, the Electoral Observation Mission of the Organization of American States (OAS/EOM) expressed its satisfaction, because the published results were consistent with their observation during the election process, neither the losing candidates nor the Haitian population was happy with the published results. Jude Celestin condemned the published result as, a ridiculous farce staged by the government; in no way it reflects the vote of the people. Amid mass violent protests and threats of withdrawal by the presidential candidates from the final run-off, the CEP has kept rescheduling the final runoff dates. And it is still undecided.

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Here is Ronald Lareche, Senator Nord-Est.

Again the presidential election scheduled for Sunday, January 24, 2016, has been postponed for a second time over security concerns. This announcement from the electoral council came amid violent protests erupted after the opposition candidate Jude Celestin decided to boycott the contest over alleged fraud. Celestin, the 53-year old run of candidate considers the October 25, 2015 election was a "ridiculous farce". When the final legislative election results were released in December, it sparked violence in many parts of the capital and news of unrests was reported from at least 5 departments-- West, Southwest, North, Northwest and Southeast. Several government buildings, election offices were set ablaze; one 18- year old demonstrator was fatally shot when two factions clashed.

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Here is Carl Murat Cantave, Senator Artibonite

Artibonite with an area of 4,887 sq km, is the largest of ten departments in Haiti. As per 2002 Census, it has a population of 1,168,800 with 230 per sq km of population density. Gonaïves (the capital) and Saint-Marc are its two main cities. On 1 January 1804, the independence of Haiti was proclaimed by Jean Jacques Dessalines in the Place d'Armes of Gonaïves. The region is the country's main rice-growing area. Artibonite River (321 km long; 68 km in the Dominican Republic, 253 km in Haiti), the most important and the longest on the island of Hispaniola passes through this department, forming an international border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic for several kilometers, from the town of Pedro Santana to the point where it is joined by the River Macasías, and then turns west into Haiti and the department's name is derived from the Artibonite River. The river is used for irrigation and generation of hydroelectricity. Since February 2004, following an unsuccessful coup attempt by an insurgency, the department is experiencing a state of economic decline.

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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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Here is the picture of two of the senators Youri Latortue and Jean Renel Senatus.

As the fourteen Senators were swearing in on January 11, 2016, two Validation Commissions were formed consisting three Senators each, who were responsible to verify the records of the newly elected officials. The Validation Commissions so employed, has asked to defer the validation of two newly elected Senators, Youri Latortue (President, Ayiti An Aksyon) and Jean Renel Sénatus (League Dessalinienne) until the CEP gives clear explanation on their method of clearances. The commission dismissed their validation under the pretext that they were improperly elected. If Youri Latortue was not barred from the Senate in this manner, could be one of the strongest and influential men inside the Senate. We would wait to see how these two candidates were elected to become Senators in the first round legislative election on August 9, 2015, with the authorization from both the CEP and BCEN.

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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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On April 17, 2015, Guy Philippe the son of a former mayor, a former Haitian police chief, has registered his nomination for contesting the August 9 election to become a Senator of the Republic. Guy Philippe (born February 29, 1968) is a Haitian politician, who led the 2004 Haitian coup d'état that ousted Jean-Bertrand Aristide. He was a presidential candidate in the 2006 Haitian general election. Philippe was trained by US Special Forces in Ecuador in the early 1990s. He will contest under the banner of the Consortium of Political Parties, a coalition of dozens of Tèt Kale leaning political parties originated during the El Rancho Accord in 2014. He served as the Head of the Haitian National Police from 1997 to 1999. Philippe is often accused of being a death squad leader under Jean-Claude 'Baby Doc' Duvalier, responsible for the deaths of dozens of suspected gang members as per Human Rights watch.

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Here is a picture of Haiti First Ladt, Sophia Saint Remy Martelly. She was born in New York City but decided to run for a senate seat in Haiti

The First Lady Sophia Saint Remy Martelly was born in New York, USA. On the last day of submitting nominations for contesting to be elected to the Senate, she has registered her candidacy for the seat on behalf of her husband's center-right liberal "Tèt Kale Party (PHTK)". Her friends often term her as "the power behind the throne" while her enemies describe her as "iron lady." However, Article 96 (1) of the Haitian constitution may put a stop to all her moves on the presidency issues. The related provision reads like that......" To be elected to the Senate, a person must be a native born Haitian and never have renounced his nationality". She renounced her Haitian citizenship in 1989, because then she used to spend more time in U.S and before 2011, dual citizenship was not permitted in the Haitian constitution. She has registered her nomination, perhaps purposely, on the final day so that it just leaves 3 days before the Department Electoral Offices (BEDs) to receive and review any complaints or objections on the candidacies and publish the names of the approved candidates on May 1. It is a big issue before the BED to decide its credibility.

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Who will control the Haitian Senate, Simon Dieuseul Desras or Andris Riché?

When Senator Simon Dieuseul Desras won the court case that saw him reappointed to his seat earlier this month, he might not have anticipated that his return to presidency of the senate would also be a fight. The sitting senate president, however, Andris Riche, is not prepared to give the position up easily. Riche has said the senate will wait for a decision from the State, a decision that Desras has made plain could only be waged by an appeal of the Court's order, which is a provisional decision.

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