Presidential
Haiti: Martelly Gives Parliament 8 Days to Contribute to Electoral Council
- Thursday, July 12, 2012 4:13 PM
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (defend.ht) - President Michel Martelly required of the Haitian Parliament, particularly the Senate, to send, within 8 days, the names of the 3 members that will sit on the board of 9 of the Permanent Electoral Council.
Indeed the communication was sent to the President of the National Assembly, Senator Simon Dieuseul Desras (Centre/Lavni) the letter dated July 9th requiring that both houses work to fill the seats without delay in a time no longer than 8 days.
The Martelly-Lamothe government aspires to hold elections, that were due to take place in 2011, before the end of 2012; a daunting task.
The Haitian Senate has not held a meeting in 9 weeks. Losing a third of its members because the 2011 elections were not held, 20 members remain with 10 boycotting hearings claiming that internal regulations weren't adhered to on May 8 with the ratification of Prime Minister Lamothe.
Furthermore, members of the Permanent Electoral Council have not been seated and the time needed to prepare elections, approve candidates and allow for campaigning is expected to exceed the 5 months left in 2012.
ARTICLE 191:
The Permanent Electoral Council is responsible for organizing and controlling with complete independence all electoral procedures throughout the territory of the Republic until the results of the election are announced.
ARTICLE 191-1:
The Council also drafts the Electoral Bill that it submits to the Executive Branch for the necessary purposes.
ARTICLE 191-2:
The Council sees to it that the electoral lists are kept up-to-date.
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.
ARTICLE 197:
The Permanent Electoral Council shall rule on all disputes arising either in elections or in the enforcement or the violation of the Electoral Law, subject to any legal prosecution undertaken against an offender or offenders before the courts of competent jurisdiction.
Related 07.07.2012: Haitian Gov't Prepares to Revoke More than 100 Mayors
Related 06.28.2012: Haiti: Senate Begins Talks on Electoral Council Members
Related 05.25.2012: Haiti PM Expects Constitution to be Published and Elections to be Held
Related 02.08.2012: Haiti: A Press Release about 2011-12 Elections
Related 12.30.2011: Haiti: New Elections, Same Electoral Council
Related 12.30.2011: Haiti: Electoral Council Members Fired by Presidential Decree
Related 05.03.2011: Democratizing Haitian Politics Starts with the Electoral Council
