Legislative

Haiti: House VP Rejects Attempts by Interior Minister to Pay-off Deputies

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (defend.ht) - The initiative of the Minister of Interior to give money to Members of the Lower House of the Legislature is badly received by the president of that house.

Deputy President Sorel Jacinthe (Moron Chamberllan/Inite) who spoke Monday on Radio Magik 9 said "if the government gives money to the MPs (members of parliament), it is not because they love them. But because they are trying to degrade them." Deputy Jacinthe is hoping that his colleagues realize this.

The member for Moron Chamberlain, who says he is defending the institution of Parliament, says he has nothing against a member who agrees to receive the money.

"They are free to make the decision that seems correct, but they also have to answer in front the nation," he said without jargon.

Several members, among them Deputy Jean Danton Léger (Leogane/Ansanm Nou Fo), confirmed that they have already received several thousand gourdes from the Ministry of the Interior and Local Authorities for the organization of many activities and implementation of various projects during the holiday season.

The Interior Minister, Thierry Mayard-Paul, had last week announced a fund of 85 million gourdes ($2.125 million [US]) to be divided among 80 deputies in the intensification program of remediation.

I am not aware of this program, confirmed Sorel Jacinthe. "If my advice had been sought on the issue, I proposed to the Minister of the Interior to meet the standards, that is to say, give money to local councils and boards of communal sections. MPs would at that time have a mere advisory role," said the president of the Lower House, recalling that the MPs are not accountable for public funds.

Senator John William Jeanty (Nippes/Konba), for his part, declined to respond to this subject he says he does not fully understand.

The senator promises to invite during the month of January the Minister of Economy and Finance, André Georges Lemercier, to give more details about the source of these funds.