Political

Haiti: Without Legislature, Permanent Electoral Council Established

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (defend.ht) - President Michel Martelly proceeded Wednesday in establishing the Permanent Electoral Council with six members, three from the executive and three from the judicial government but none from the legislative.

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The three representatives chosen by the executive to conduct Haiti's elections are:
Josue Pierre-Louis (former Minister of Justice and Secretary General of the Presidency)
Gustave Acacia
and Reynaldo Bonnet.

The three representatives of the judiciary are:
Yves Benoit Jean-Marie,
Patrick Metelus
and Salnave Exantus.

The Permanent Electoral Council should consist of nine members thus should include three representatives from the legislature which was not able to convene, due to the inability to make quorum in the Senate.

There lies a debate over the legality of this electoral institution.

On one side, people argue that a provisional council, with a mandate valid for only one election cycle should have been established to hold elections to elect 10 members to the Senate (which has been at 2/3s because elections were not held in November 2011). These persons do not agree that a partial Permanent Council should have been placed.

The other side of the debate is that the Constitution requires a Permanent Electoral Council to hold elections. Although the Constitution requires there be nine members, pressure from the international community, which would withhold funding for elections if an electoral council is not permanent, would force the Head of State to form a permanent one.