Legislative
Sen. Steven Benoit Loses Confidence in the Head of State
- Tuesday, September 27, 2011 11:18 PM
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (defend.ht) - President Michel Martelly has lost the confidence of the Senator from the Ouest, Steven Irvenson Benoit who described his loss in confidence as a reaction to the president's inability to follow through on matters of the state.
Senator Benoit says the Head of State has mismanaged the major issues of the state, a list that includes:
- the president's failure to publish the correct and amended consitution
- his appointment of general managers and departmental delegates - an act questioned for its constitutionality
- for not appointing judges to the supreme court, the Court of Cassation, is missing two-thirds of its constitutionally prescribed membership of 9
- and for not publishing the remaining results of legislative elections held on May 30, 4 deputies do not have seats
- the president's intention not to form the constitutionally prescribed "permanent electoral council" in which the 9 members are chosen by all three branches of government, instead the president expects to select all 9 members himself
- the president's failure to form the National Fund for Education under a legal framework
- the president's plan to create an army without consulting the parliament and the judiciary branches of government
- and the president's failure to adjust the mandate of the Interim Haiti Recovery Commission
The first Senator of the Ouest denounced President Michel Martelly's declared intention to set up a "provisional" electoral council for a term of two years, in which the head of state would select its members, rather than set up the constitutionally prescribed, "permanent" electoral council, selected by constitutionally mandated parties.
To those ends, Benoit said:
"... I'm not talking because I have something personal against President Martelly, I'm not talking because I don't like President Martelly, I am not talking because I want to be popular because I want to do show business, I am talking because I am a Senator of the Republic... and there are problems here and if I don't acknowledge the problems right now, so that a correction could be made later on it will be more woesome."
"On Sunday afternoon past, the President declared that it is him and the electoral council that will be final."
"And in 3 months he has not published the results of the deputy elections. There are 4 deputies, and this saddens me, that are not in their seats. And after 3 months, the president has not taken the position to complete the electoral process so that the public can get to know the individuals, the 4 individuals that have won in those parliamentary elections... we are not going to allow the president to choose who won... it should be those who actually won the seats who should be in the seats."
Furthermore, Senator Benoit is concerned that Michel Martelly has no desire to publish the amended constitution in the official executive journal, Le Monitor.
Constitution of 1987
ARTICLE 192:
The Permanent Electoral Council consists of nine (9) members chosen from a list of three (3) names proposed by each of the Departmental Assemblies:
3 are chosen by the Executive Branch;
3 are chosen by the Supreme Court;
3 are chosen by the National Assembly.
The above-mentioned organs see to it as far as possible that each of the Departments are represented.
Related 09.27.2011: Senate Resolution Aims to End U.N. Peacekeeping Mission by October 2012
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: Vision 2000
