Presidential

Martelly: "I'm Haitian, I never renounced my citizenship"

During a radio interview President-elect Michel Martelly was forced to deflect rumors that have been circulating claiming he had obtained foreign citizenship.

According to Haiti LIBRE , Martelly described the proponents of the rumors saying, "I feel that it is a campaign that is organized by people who can not even believe that Michel Martelly is the country's President..."

"I'm Haitian, I never renounced my citizenship, my passport is Haitian I'm Proud, by the way I sang Haiti throughout my career. I'm not ready to renounce to my nationality, on the contrary I am ready to make the Haitian people proud of their nationality."

"For people who start these rumors I tell them that it is unfortunate, because firstly the person that they do not want to see is there, Michel Martelly is President of the Republic... the second thing is that as their President, I am there to serve them, so even when they are sending me negative vibes, like a bull I will absorb them and I'm not going to throw them back, I will send love and I'll send them my participation to change the country."

The constitution of Haiti requires that a President be born in Haiti, had residence in Haiti for 5 years prior to being elected and have never renounced citizenship. As Haiti does not allow dual-citizenship, being naturalized in another country is effectively renouncing citizenship.

The Constitution | Article 135:
To be elected President of the Republic of Haiti, a candidate must:

• a. Be a native-born Haitian and never have renounced Haitian nationality;
• b. Have attained thirty-five (35) years of age by the election day;
• c. Enjoy civil and political rights and never have been sentenced to death, personal restraint or penal servitude or the loss of civil rights for a crime of ordinary law;
• d. Be the owner in Haiti of at least one real property and have his habitual residence in the country;
• e. Have resided in the country for five (5) consecutive years before the date of the elections;
• f. Have been relieved of this responsibilities if he has been handling public funds.

Source: Haiti LIBRE , Constitution of 1987