Legislative
Senate Resolution Aims to End U.N. Peacekeeping Mission by October 2012
- Tuesday, September 27, 2011 5:22 PM
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (defend.ht) - The President of the National Assembly, Senator Rodolphe Joazile, on Monday described a plan that would see the complete withdrawal of United Nations peacekeepers from Haiti by October 15, 2012 through a "progressive, orderly and definitive" process.
Senator Joazile and his colleagues in the upper house resolved in a resolution last week to form a special commission of 9, that will include 3 members from the executive, perhaps from the national police, presidency and new-to-be-formed army, 3 members from the judiciary, judges and lawyers and 3 members from the legislative branches to engage with the United Nations to coordinate the withdrawal of their peacekeepers.
The Haitian senate also believes that a national security force can be put in place with in a year to allow the country to continue to enjoy the stability of the past several years.
"We must begin today so that on October 15 2012 we are not discussing renewing the mandate of MINUSTAH..."
"...how long does it take to make a police officer, 6 months, how long does it take to make a soldier, 6 months... this means to say that if we begin today, and I am pretty sure that there are places that the State of Haiti can find money to put into the budget so that we can fund a national defense force."
Senator Joazile of the great body rejects the argument that the departure of UN peacekeepers would increase the risk of instability in the country, saying that the period of coups is over and it would be "foolish to think that we could return to the barbaric past." The Senate last week adopted two resolutions which recommend non-renewal of the mandate of MINUSTAH in October 2012 and repairing the harm caused by its agents in the country.
Rodolphe Joazile informed the Senate that the head of the state will soon be formally received. While recognizing that a resolution has no binding force, it says that the outcry against the MINUSTAH must be advised to think of now the withdrawal of the mission.
Related 09.26.2011: Col. Himmler Rebu: Martelly 'Too Diplomatic' about U.N. Peacekeepers in Haiti
Related 09.26.2011: President Martelly Disagrees with Portrayal in NYT Article
Related 09.23.2011: President Michel Martelly Full Speech and Video at UN General Assembly
Related 09.22.2011: AP: Martelly Plans Concert, Changes Stance on Peacekeepers, Blames Politicians for Protests
Related 09.16.2011: Martelly, Haitian Presidential Delegation to Address UN General Assembly
Related 09.14.2011: President Martelly Defends: "MINUSTAH should not be cornered..."
Source: Agence Haitienne de Presse
