Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 12 février 2016

 Provisional government to be installed while Martelly leaves office

Associated Press

Saturday 6 February 2016 

Top Haitian leaders have reached an agreement to install a provisional government less than a day before the President, Michel Martelly, is scheduled to step down, an official with the Organization of American States (OAS) told the Associated Press.

Special mission leader Ronald Sanders said the interim president will be elected by parliament for a term of 120 days. He said the prime minister, Evans Paul, will remain in his position until lawmakers confirm a replacement in upcoming days.

The interim government will continue an electoral process that began last year. It will hold a second round of presidential and legislative elections on April 24. A new president is scheduled to be installed on May 14 and will rule Haiti for the next five years.

“The country now has an opportunity for a fresh start,” Sanders said, adding that parliament would invite nominations for an interim president soon.

The deal, if it holds, will prevent an institutional vacuum when Martelly leaves office on Sunday, and creates a roadmap for an elected leader to replace him in a few months. But there appeared to be no break in opposition protests in the capital on Saturday and recent violence suggests discord is likely to continue.

Sanders said the deal was signed overnight following “very animated” negotiations on Friday between Martelly, the two leaders of Haiti’s bicameral legislature, and numerous lawmakers. Sanders, an Antiguan diplomat, is mission leader and chairman of the 35-nation OAS’ permanent council.

A senior member of Haiti’s ruling party, who was not authorized to talk to the media, told the Associated Press that lawmakers will meet on Sunday to start the process to elect an interim president.

The OAS mission had been observing negotiations to resolve a standoff over a disputed round of voting in August and October that led officials to suspend a runoff election that had been scheduled for 24 January.

Opposition leaders have repeatedly said Martelly could not be part of the process, but Sanders, who stressed he was a witness and not a participant in the talks, said the deal was reached by elected officials who have the authority to do so.

“I don’t think that anybody could say that it was a cooked-up agreement because it was done by people who didn’t have the right or the authority to do it,” Sanders said. “Indeed, there are no other two sets of entities in this country that could have signed a legitimate agreement.”

When asked if a commission would be set up to verify results of the contested 25 October vote, Sanders said: “I would not discount the idea that there would be some form of verification.”

Haiti’s provisional electoral council [which no longer exists and a new one, preferably an independent one, will have to be created by the new president] has repeatedly rejected opposition demands for an independent review of the election results, fuelling suspicions of vote-rigging.

OAS officials have held more than 25 meetings since they arrived last Sunday, but never met with Jude Célestin, a candidate who had been boycotting the presidential runoff, despite numerous invitations to him.

The OAS, however, did meet with other members of the opposition alliance, which includes Célestin.

That alliance has been critical of the OAS mission, saying it would interfere in efforts to resolve the political crisis. The group had been seeking a transitional government led by a Supreme Court leader to ensure a commission verifies the disputed election results. Célestin was boycotting despite official returns that showed him coming in second and winning a spot in the runoff against Martelly’s preferred successor, Jovenel Moïse.

Shortly after the deal was reached, an anti-government protest broke out in downtown Port-au-Prince, and a radio station reported that more than a dozen men in the green uniforms of Haiti’s disbanded military [originally disbanded years ago under President Aristide but recently reinstated by President Martelly] burned down a police station on a road leading to the coastal town of Arcahaie, north of the capital. The station said they also robbed a small bank, burned cars and fired guns into the air [without any interference whatsoever by the national police]. Calls to officials to ask about the reports went unanswered.

It was not clear if the incidents were related to the new agreement. AP

Inauguration of the new Ministry of the Interior

Last Thursday President Michel Martelly, went to the Champ de Mars for the inauguration of a building that will house the Ministry of the Interior, and other government offices.

Among the officials present were: Lener Renauld, Minister of Defense and Foreign Affairs and Ardouin Zephirin, Minister of the Interior, members of the diplomatic corps, as well as VIPs form the private sector.

This construction is situated at the corner of Paul VI and Lord Guilloux Streets, formerly the location of the General Tax Office (DGI), which was destroyed during the earthquake of 2010. It is part of the Administrative City project.

"This new realization shows once more the efforts achieved by my administration for the reconstruction of the country," declared President Martelly, satisfied to have laid the foundations for the reconstruction of the City Center still called "the Administrative Center."

This 5-story building was financed by the Treasury and PetroCaribe funds. It will  includes offices, meeting rooms, an infirmary, a cafeteria, a parking area with a capacity of 120 vehicles, and an underground parking lot for about thirty vehicles. The building will also include three elevators and two fire escapes. "All measures were taken to make sure that the construction of this building met modern standards," reassured the Engineer Clément Bélizaire, Executive director of the UCLBP.

US MARINES OFF SHORE – READY TO INTERVENE AT THE FIRST SUGGESTION OF VIOLENCE

Secretary of State John Kerry deployed Ambassador Kenneth Merten to Haiti last night, for a meeting with outgoing President Martelly – to ensure his safe departure is guaranteed on Sunday, Feb 7th. As a precautionary measure, SOUTHCOM has ordered the mobilization of a Strategic Amphibious Platoon, of the United States Marine Corp, based at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. A unit of this type is made up of 300 officers and men.

This is a precautionary measure in case of civil unrest in Haiti, where over 25,000 United States Citizens reside. SOUTHCOM is planning this contingency to protect American lives against any violent acts.

Troops can be launched off a Tarawa Class assault vessel, probably holding off the coast of Haiti, at this time.

Haiti leader departs as he came: amid uncertainty, disorder

 By DAVID McFADDEN

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Michel Martelly came to office promising a stronger Haiti following a messy election that provoked widespread skepticism. He left power this Sunday at the close of his five-year term with few accomplishments and a legacy clouded by a new political crisis.

The singer-turned-politician had urged Haitians to set aside deep divisions at his May 2011 inauguration. But his hostile relations with Parliament resulted in gridlock.

Many Haitians say Martelly squandered a golden opportunity to turn impoverished Haiti around as international aid poured into the country following a devastating 2010 earthquake that flattened much of the capital and surrounding areas. The disaster killed an estimated 300,000 people.

"He said he'd help the population and I hoped it was true. But here we are still struggling, same as ever," said fruit vendor Nadine Suzie, selling oranges on a street corner by piles of smoldering garbage. Haiti has long been one of the poorest and most unequal countries in the world.

Some who worked with him closely see Martelly as a charismatic but flawed leader who doomed his presidency by surrounding himself with an entourage of unsavory cronies, including a number from his previous career as "Sweet Micky," the self-proclaimed "bad boy" of Haitian pop music.

"It hurts me to say this because I still like him as a person, but the Martelly years were a big zero. There were people around him who were very corrupt and money had a way of disappearing," said Georges Sassine, a prominent industrialist who was tasked with overseeing the country's industrial parks until he was abruptly replaced in 2013.

Martelly's former prime minister, Laurent Lamothe, who was forced to resign under pressure in late 2014 after some 2 ½ years in office, is distancing himself from the president during his shambolic last days. He asserts Haiti made clear gains during their partnership but political feuding over the last year has rolled them back.

Lamothe told The Associated Press that the endless infighting between the president and Parliament "brought Haiti back to its old days of gridlock and self-serving policies that collapsed the economy and destroyed any progress that was achieved."

The dysfunction deepened last year when the mandates of the entire lower house and a third of the Senate expired in the absence of elections, leaving Martelly to rule by decree.

Martelly came to office after winning an election process marred by allegations of fraud, and only international pressure got him in the runoff. He leaves on Sunday, less than a day after he and Haitian lawmakers reached an agreement to form a short-term provisional government under an interim president who will serve until a newly elected leader can take power May 14.

Violent opposition protests and deep suspicions of electoral fraud favoring his chosen candidate, Jovenel Moise, derailed a scheduled runoff last month.

Martelly, through a party official, declined to be interviewed for this article. But at a Saturday ceremony with legislative leaders, the president somberly said: "Even though I didn't accomplish everything I hoped to get done for Haiti, we did our best."

While he's unpopular with some of those in the political class and many struggling to raise families, the forceful, self-confident leader still has many admirers among the young.

"This is the first government in my lifetime that's worked to build up basic infrastructure," said 25-year-old student Pierre Richardson Olson in Haiti's crowded capital. "That's worth something, isn't it?"

Martelly's most ardent supporters insist he's been Haiti's best leader, while hardline critics often characterize him as a dictator who enriched himself illegally. His legacy is more complicated than either of those extremes.

Kenneth Merten, the U.S. State Department's special coordinator for Haiti, said it's easy to lose sight of accomplishments made during the Martelly years amid the current disorder.

"I think we would have all hoped to see that more was accomplished. But I think it's important for people who don't really know Haiti to understand that there has been progress made," said Merten, attributing gains in large part to partnerships with the U.S. and other foreign powers that supported the pro-business president.

Haiti has more paved roads, more children in school, a stronger police force and less extreme poverty. The World Bank said that the local economy had its best performance in decades, with a real growth rate averaging 3.3 percent yearly from 2011 to 2014. Parts of the capital have seen new construction, including major hotel chains, and the number of people in dismal tent camps has dropped from 1.5 million after the quake to about 60,000 now.

But these gains, spurred by international aid, are fragile. Haiti's chronic problems of widespread poverty, lack of opportunity and exclusion remain entrenched.

Martelly's government relied so heavily on Venezuela's Petrocaribe trade initiative, which provided subsidized oil to allied nations, that Haiti's debt to Caracas is nearly $2 billion. His government used savings from the program to fund building and social programs.

One of Martelly's final acts in office was releasing a Carnival song under his stage name, aiming sexually suggestive lyrics at a respected female journalist amid the political crisis. Some former insiders see this as a sign that he was never all that serious about improving Haiti.

"I think he saw power as an excuse to party," said Chantal Elie, a foreign affairs adviser to Martelly who quit after a year because she was fed up with various tensions, including, allegedly, frequent sexist comments by the president and officials close to him.

VICKY JEUDY WINS A SAG AWARD IN LOS ANGELES

The Haitian-American actress Vicky Jeudy took home her second SAG Award for her performance on the Netflix series "Orange is the New Black" last weekend at the 22^nd Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles. During her red carpet entrance, while posing with the actor Léonardo Dicaprio, the star accidentally let her right breast show, a moment which photographers did not miss to immortalize.

Rodney Joseph, best "Chief Petty Officer" of the USA

Chief Rodne Joseph, a native of Gonaïves, has served in U.S.  Navy for 17 years.

As "Division Leading Chief Petty Officer" he manages 30 sailors at 5 recruiting stations, bringing to the U.S. Navy candidates of the highest quality.

Joseph was chosen as "Navy Recruiting Command Division Leading Chief Petty Officer" of the year. He received this honor in a national competition, making him the best "Division Leading Chief Petty Officer" in the country.

"I cannot take all the credit for this honor," declared Joseph. "I owe it to a phenomenal team of recruiters, and it was a privilege to guide them towards their full potential."

Note that "Navy Recruiting Command" consists of 26 recuitment districts divided into Divisions.

Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 16 février 2016

 Jocelerme Privert takes the oath as temporary president of the Republic

On February 14th, the Parliament elected one of its own, 62 year-old Jocelerme Privert, as temporary president of Haiti, to fill the void created by the departure of former head of state Michel Martelly, who left on February 7^th, according to his mandate. Privert’s election was quickly followed by his swearing-in and the handover of the presidential banner.

Haiti now has a new temporary president of the republic. Privert received 77 votes among which 64 came from the chamber of deputies and 13 came from the senate. The senator from Nippes who has had a career of 35 years in public service, promises to properly lead the electoral process and to form a government of consensus to improve the living conditions of the population. He is committed to meeting all of the vital sectors of the nation in order to bring a wide consensus.

HUNGER AFFECTS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE HAITIAN POPULATION

The World food program (PAM), the agency of the United Nations, indicated that the number of people in severe food insecurity doubled in 6 months in Haiti, because of drought conditions and of El Niño.

3.6 million people go hungry, among whom 1.5 millions are experiencing severe food insecurity, according to a new study carried out by the PAM, the United Nations Organization for the Food and Agriculture (FAO) and the National Coordination of the Food safety in Haiti (CNSA).

In the spring, farmers lost as much as 70 % of their harvest in certain regions. These losses had a direct influence on the price of basic food products, some of which doubled. In a country where 75 % of the population lives with less than 2 dollars a day and when 50 % of the population depends on agriculture, a drought can bring disastrous consequences on the food safety of numerous families.

"If it doesn’t rain before the harvest of 2016, it will mean that numerous farmers will lose their third consecutive harvest and will not be able to meet the needs for their families," declared Wendy Bigham, Deputy Director of the PAM in Haiti. " We have to help them cover their immediate needs while helping them build their strength. "

The phenomenon El Nino which began at the beginning of 2015 is one of the strongest ever recorded, and has affected the food safety of the most vulnerable people all over the world.

In certain regions until 70 % of the population is experiencing food insecurity and according to a new study by the UNICEF, the rates of malnutrition above warning levels were observed in several municipalities, some testifying of an emergency situation.

On the basis of these new studies, PAM is going to intensify its emergency operation to answer the immediate needs for 1 million people in situation of severe food insecurity by making transfers of money as well as by distributing rations of food.

These immediate distributions will be completed by programs of "Money fort Work" where 200,000 people will receive some money in exchange for their work on projects of water management or land preservation to favor the long-term development. PAM has already implemented the projects of "Money for Work" for more than 30,000 people in zones the most affected by drought conditions.

In coordination with the government, PAM also distributed rations of food since November to 120,000 people affected by the drought. A ration of two months can feed a family of 5 people and includes basic food items such as rice, legumes, oil, sugar and salt.

Furthermore, PAM’s program of school canteens brings crucial assistance to about 500,000 children by assuring that they will be able to eat at least a daily meal, among them many are in regions affected by the drought.

It is essential that PAM continues to bring emergency aid so that families can meet their needs until the next harvest which will not take place before July, 2016. PAM, which is only financed by voluntary contributions, needs to raise 84 million dollars in order to cover the food basic needs for 1 million Haitians.

Rubio Comments On Newly Announced Haiti Transition Plan

Washington, D.C.Feb 08 2016

– U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) today issued the following statement regarding the Haitian government’s new announcement of a plan to transition power:
 
“I welcome Haiti’s announcement of a transition to an interim government, followed by elections in the very near future. It is my hope that this updated schedule will allow the people of Haiti to have the opportunity to freely elect new leadership, and also for allegations of corruption and fraud in the previous election round to be addressed.
 
“The United States along with the Organization of American States should assist Haiti's transitional government during the coming months to help ensure that the presidential election occurs as scheduled and is free and fair. I urge all political factions to unite behind the interim government, work together to implement this new transition and election schedule, and put their differences aside in the interest of a better future for the Haitian people.
 
“Anyone who is promoting violence or undermining Haiti’s stability during this period should be held accountable, including through punitive actions by the U.S. government such as visa bans. It is in America's interest to continue supporting the people of Haiti during this key time.”

OAS urges D.R. to restore nationality to Haitian descendants

EFE - Washington9 Feb 2016

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, a body of the Organization of American States, on Tuesday asked the Dominican Republic to restore nationality to thousands of people of Haitian descent affected by a controversial decision by the Dominican Constitutional Tribunal.

"The criteria adopted by the Constitutional Tribunal disproportionally affected persons of Haitian descent and retroactively deprived them of nationality, relegating them to the status of stateless persons," the commission said.

Based on a visit to the country, the commission's "Report on the Human Rights Situation in Dominican Republic" repudiates that persons born in Dominican territory who, according to Dominican legislation, are entitled to Dominican nationality, should be treated as foreigners.

The commission, an autonomous agency of the OAS, also urges the Dominican government to end "the practices of denying Dominican nationality to persons born in the territory based on the origin of their parents or ancestors, or the migratory status of their parents."

"The situation of statelessness generated by (Constitutional Tribunal) judgment 168/13 has not yet been completely corrected after the measures adopted by the Dominican State, is of a magnitude never before seen in the Americas," the rapporteur on the rights of migrants, Commissioner Enrique Gil Botero, said.

"This situation takes place in a context of historical discrimination that, in different spheres, face Dominicans of Haitian descent," said the rapporteur on the rights of Afro-Descendants, Commissioner Margarette May Macaulay.

"This historical discrimination has been evident in policies, laws, judgments and practices that tend to deprive them of their right to Dominican nationality on the basis of criteria such as the colour of their skin, the national origin of their parents or grandparents, their last names or their linguistic ability to speak Spanish," she said.

Many people born in the Dominican Republic to Haitian parents faced immense obstacles when trying to obtain the right documentation to register for the National Regularization Plan and only around 240,000 applications were received ahead of a June 17, 2015, deadline.

Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 1 mars 2016

 'Extreme' US worry about Zika impact in Haiti

BRASÍLIA (AFP),
19 February 2016 - 21H05 - A top US health official expressed "extreme concern" Friday over the potential for Zika to expand throughout Haiti and said the United States is helping the deeply impoverished Caribbean nation prepare.

There was "extreme concern of Haiti in terms of impact that dengue has there, and of course, the vulnerable population is a challenge," said Anne Schuchat, principal deputy director of the US Centers for Disease Control.

Schuchat spoke while in the Brazilian capital of Brasilia studying an outbreak of the Zika virus, which is widely believed to cause microcephaly, a serious birth defect, in babies born to infected women.

The virus is transmitted by the same mosquito responsible for carrying dengue, a far more common disease.

The US expert said that with the northern hemisphere summer approaching, a rise in mosquito numbers is expected and Haiti, which confirmed its first cases of Zika in January, needs to prepare.

The "CDC has a very strong partnership in Haiti and we are already working on how to help them be ready for this," she told AFP.

"We are concerned about many countries. Certainly in Colombia they have seen a rapid increase in Zika cases," she said. "In the US we are working very closely with Puerto Rico and we are very concerned about the months ahead."

Most people who get Zika suffer no serious symptoms, but pregnant women are considered to be at risk and have been advised by numerous governments not to travel to Zika-prone countries.

Brazil said this week that it has registered 508 cases of microcephaly since October, a huge increase on the average annual number of 150.

© 2016 AFP

Gina Dupervil died on Thursday morning in New Jersey

Gina Dupervil, the daughter of the famous singer Gerard Dupervil, died last week in a New Jersey hospital due to respiratory complications. The singer of the famous hit LANMOU NOU PRAN DIFE, who made many people dance, experienced great success before leaving the country to settle down permanently in the USA. Another Haitian star has passed on. All our condolences to friends and relatives.

Jazz vocal album winner Cécile McLorin Salvant at the Grammys

By: Chris BartonContact

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The Grammy Awards like nothing more than to be seen as getting younger, but that idea did not extend to 12-year-old piano phenome Joey Alexander in this year's jazz category.

Seen as something of a favorite in the wake of earning multiple nominations for music on his debut album "My Favorite Things" as well as a performance slot at the Grammys pre-show and broadcast, Alexander was shut out by Grammy voters, who instead opted for more familiar faces.

Alexander can take a measure of comfort in this year's win by 26-year-old jazz vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant, who lost out in the jazz vocal category in her first nomination in 2014 but came back to earn honors this year for her lauded album "For One to Love." Salvant beat out albums by Lorraine Feather, Karrin Allyson, Denise Donatelli and Jamison Ross.

Haiti’s interim president meeting with possible candidate for PM

Jamaica Observer - Friday, February 19, 2016    

PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti (CMC) — Interim president Jocelerme Privert has been holding talks with possible candidates for the position of prime minister with the 2010 presidential candidate Mirlande Manigat emerging as a strong nominee to replace Paul Evans.

Privert, who was elected by the Parliament on Sunday to lead the French-speaking Caribbean Community (Caricom) country, Tuesday met with Moïse Jean-Charles, the presidential candidate of the Pitit Dassalin party as well as André Michel, presidential candidate for the JISTIS and Manigat, who is also general secretary of the Rally of Progressive National Democrats.

Under the agreement reached to end the political crisis that followed the departure of President Michel Martelly from office on February 7, the interim president chosen by parliament will serve for up to 120 days. The agreement proposes a new presidential election on April 24, with a new president installed on May 14.

Following the meeting, Michel told reporters he had proposed to President Privert the candidacy of Manigat to head the transitional government.

February 15, 2016

                                                                                                                                                                                    No. 2016/12

U.S. Response to the Drought in Haiti

The US Government is actively intervening to mitigate the impact of the ongoing drought induced by a prolonged El Niño event, and, in fact, has been working ​since the Haitian Government’s CNSA issued an alert and appeal in October 2015. At stake is food security and nutrition for an estimated 1.5 million Haitians.

Our early response has involved:

1. Working to assess and mitigate the impact and improve early warning and analysis capacities through the USAID funded Famine Early Warning System Network (FEWS NET). 
2. USAID has already awarded $11.6 million in emergency assistance to World Vision, Action Contre le Faim (ACF), and CARE to address acute food and nutritional deficiencies for over 135,000 people in the upper northwest, La Gonave, the central plateau and southwest areas hard hit by the drought due to the ongoing El Nino. This assistance will address immediate emergency food needs as well as assist the most vulnerable in their early recovery and build resilience to future shocks. 
3. Providing food and support valued at $500,000 for 10,000 children in 32 orphanages and 19 schools in the West, Centre, Artibonite, South East and South departments.
4. Continuing USAID support to our four-year non-emergency food and nutrition social safety net Kore Lavi program, implemented through CARE and its partners ACF, World Vision, and the World Food Programme, to support 239,000 extremely vulnerable people in La Gonave in the West and South East, North West, Centre and L'Artibonite departments.
5. In the South East Department, one of the hardest hit by drought, as well as migration from the Dominican Republic, and cholera, we are working with partners to provide emergency water for drinking, hygiene and sanitation for 13,000 in communities where returned migrants place additional strain on already limited water resources.

Through the US Feed the Future Initiative, our ongoing agricultural development programs are working on mid to longer term solutions with farmers to distribute pumps, clean irrigation canals to increase access to dwindling water supply, use less water-intensive seed for rice, and other solutions for water conservation. 

Ambassador Peter Mulrean expressed his concern and solidarity for those whose livelihoods and food security have been threatened and noted:   “In this time of distress, the United States stands with Haiti as a true partner, contributing to international and Haitian efforts to provide relief now and for however long it is needed. At the same time, we continue our work on building Haiti’s capacity to withstand such future shocks and protect those most vulnerable and in need, especially mothers, infants and children in rural communities across the country where livelihoods, livestock, and, with no response, lives are at risk”. 

NEW DELAY FOR CLIFFORD BRANDT'S TRIAL

After a two-week delay on January 28th for Clifford Brandt's trial and his presumed accomplices, a second 24 hours postponement was put in place on Monday, February 15th because the accused were absent. The judge in charge of the case, Jean Wilner Morin, explained there was a logistic problem with the room put at the disposal of the magistrate.  He announced on Tuesday, February 16th, that the trial would be rescheduled for February 23rd. This session should take place at the Judicial Palace where a room will be outfitted for that purpose.

Last Tuesday, 6 of the accused,including Clifford H. Brandt, Sawadienne Jean, Evens Larrieux, Saint strong Carlo Bendel, Carline Richemard and Pierreval Ricot, out of the 19 identified linked to this case were , although a jury was not present. The other suspects are still fugitives.

The judge in charge of the case ordered 10 days for the missing suspects to report to justice. Otherwise the court indicated that they will be declared escapes and judged in absentia (in their absences), their properties will be seized and individuals will be detained to indicate where they are.

Haiti interim president vows to hold former leaders accountable

Port-au-Prince (AFP) - Haiti's interim president Jocelerme Privert vowed Friday to do "everything in his power" to hold the previous administration accountable for its actions, amid allegations of corruption and mismanagement.

Privert said he has met with leaders from civil society and political parties, as well as everyday citizens, who are demanding that the previous government of Michel Martelly be called to account for its less than stellar record of governance.

"I am going to do everything in my power to make sure that the institutions (of government) meet their responsibilities," he told a news conference.

He added that he "has not ruled out convening a task force" to look into the matter, including a unit focusing on financial mismanagement under Martelly.

Privert took power earlier this month following the February 7 departure of Martelly, after a vote to choose his successor was postponed over fears of violence.

Opposition leaders have criticized Martelly, charging him with overusing his executive powers. They also accuse his wife and eldest son of embezzling public funds.

The deeply impoverished Caribbean nation has been paralyzed by an electoral crisis and continues to struggle to get back on its feet after being hobbled by the devastating 2010 earthquake.

Black History Month Celebration at the Harold Courlander Space

The Black History Month's celebration at the Harold Courlander Space of the American Corner of the Monique Calixte Library will include two big activities this month. The first already took place and consisted of a panel discussion last Friday.  The second conference is planned for Wednesday, February 24th at 5 p.m. at Fokal.

According to information available on FOKAL’s website, last week’s panel was in English and included five diplomats of the American Embassy who studied at historically black colleges and universities in the U. S. 

These participants from various fields of knowledge spoke about the importance of these types of schools in the history of the United States, and talked about their college experience with participants. This activity was aimed largely at students and members of the Club English Conversation of the American Corner.

Wednesday’s conference, on the other hand, will consist of a presentation by history and communication professor, and sports and political commentator, Patrice Dumont. The library’s American Corner holds a conference annually to mark the stories of African-Americans. It is designed to allow the public to follow the contribution of blacks in the evolution of American society. This year’s theme is on “The participation of the soldiers of Santo Domingo in the battle of Savannah in 1779 in Georgia."

Professor Dumont will make a historic presentation of the facts relative to this battle and will place the participation and the effort of the soldiers of Santo Domingo in a diplomatic context where friendly links were weaved between both countries from their foundation to full nation.

Patrice Dumont is a well-versed individual who collaborated in the two publications: “The French Revolution and Haiti / text: Révolution française - Révolution haïtienne, autonomie, influences et similitudes” (1989) and "The price of Jean-claudisme / Text: “Le jean-claudisme ou l’ideologie du paraitre (2014)." The star sports broadcaster of the show "Sportissibo" on Radio Ibo also published “Haiti in Munich, 20 years later (1994)" and "Francois Duvalier and Haitian soccer, a totalitarian control (2015)."

Culture: the tourist wealth of the North of Haiti, detailed in a catalog

A catalog of places and products, which represent the tourism wealth of the department of the North of Haiti, is now on available, according to the on-line agency AlterPresse.

This catalog is the fruit of the Project of Tourist Development aid of the North (Padtn), as a tourist destination, by the Inter-American Development Bank (Bid), the Center (Canadian) of Study and of the International Cooperation (CECI) and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the North (CCIN).

Grouping places of interest – such as beaches, hotels and culinary and artistic potentialities - this catalog, one of the expected results within the framework of the implementation of Padtn, establishes a guide for local and foreign visitors willing to explore the department of the North of Haiti.

Colombia: 3,177 Pregnant Women With Zika; No Microcephaly

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

BOGOTA, Colombia — Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos said Saturday that there's no evidence Zika has caused any cases of the birth defect known as microcephaly in his country, though it has diagnosed 3,177 pregnant women with the virus. Santos also announced that a U.S. medical-scientific team will arrive in Colombia to help investigate the mosquito-borne virus. Brazilian officials say they suspect Zika is behind a seemingly unusual number of microcephaly cases, in which children are born with unusually small heads. The link is not confirmed, but it has helped prompt the World Health Organization to declare an emergency over the virus. Santos says Zika apparently has affected more than 25,600 Colombians overall. Colombian officials said Friday that three people had died of the paralyzing Guillain-Barre syndrome they attributed to cases of Zika. To date, the mosquito-borne virus has spread to more than 20 countries in the Americas.

With global concern over the Zika virus growing, health officials are warning pregnant women to be careful about who they kiss and calling on men to use condoms with pregnant partners if they have visited countries where the virus is present.

The flurry of recommendations began in Brazil, where a top health official said that scientists have found live virus in saliva and urine samples, and the possibility it could be spread by the two body fluids requires further study.

Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 2 mars 2016

 Politic : Vote of confidence, the PM in the hunt for votes
29/02/2016 11:29:21

Haiti-Libre - Invested since Friday as Prime minister in charge to constitute a transitional government http://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-16725-haiti-flash-inauguration-of-the-prime-minister-named.html , the economist Fritz-Alphonse Jean must now make sure to get a vote of confidence in Parliament on his General Policy. A task all the more difficult, that no political group constituted in Parliament in both houses, holds an absolute majority, which will force him to negotiate with all political blocs to try to secure the 16 votes in the Senate and 60 votes in the lower house, the majority required to obtain a vote of confidence.

The Senate currently consists of 2 groups. The majority opposition group (G15) composed of 15 senators, including the President of the Upper House (who may not vote) seems acquired to the Prime Minister, which theoretically represents 14 votes. He will therefore have to convince two senators of the minority group (G9) to vote in his favor, which is not earned if the minority senators are in solidarity, the G9 having disapprove the nomination of the Prime Minister and does not intend to endorse his General Policy statement as stated by the G9 leader Sen. Youri Latortue.

The lower house is composed of 3 political blocs constituted : the majority Block "Parliamentary Alliance for Haiti" (APH) composed f 48deputies (G48), which has taken a position against the nomination of Fritz Jean as Prime Minister and accordingly against his General Policy, "The Provisional President should not choose a friend as Prime Minister he must choose a person who will carry out the elections, to complement those already begun, for the country to have a chance and be equipped with an elected president," declared Deputy Rony Célestin, President of G48.

The other two blocks together represent 44 deputies. The "Parliamentary Group at the Listening of the People" composed of 33 deputies of various trends and the" Group of independent deputies" (GPI) composed of 11 independent deputies. Here again Prime Minister Jean must try to convince of Deputies of majority group to vote for his general policy, if he wants to get the 60 votes required.

According Abel Descollines, the first Secretary of the Chamber of Deputies and member of the Group of Independent Deputies the GPI which appears as a block above the personal interests and at the services of interests of the Nation, and which does not intend to become blocking element to the vote of confidence of the General Policy of the Prime Minister, as long as the latter meets the constitutional requirements.

Education : The Digicel Foundation inaugurates 5 schools
28/02/2016 09:58:42

Haiti-Libre - Continuing its program to build schools throughout Haiti in order to contribute to the improvement of the quality of education, the Digicel Foundation has recently proceeded to the inauguration of 5 new construction projects.

Part of first 20 schools built by the Digicel Foundation during its first year of operation, the Community School of Bigue, in the commune of Gros Morne as been rehabilitated and 3 new classrooms have been added to meet the demand of the community. The École Mixte Emmanuel in Gérald Bataille / Port-au-Prince, one of modular schools, built in containers after the 2010 earthquake has also been modified and was able also to benefit of three new classrooms.

Three other schools have been inaugurated recently: the National School of Yayou in Saint Raphaël, the National School Charlemagne Péralte to Maïssade and the Community School ANC of Grande Savane in Fort Jacques. With these new openings, over 1,000 students were added to the children who attend the schools of the Foundation, they are now more than 52,000 students to benefit from.

Commenting on the series of inaugurations, Sophia Stransky, the Executive Director of the Digicel Foundation stated "Every school inauguration is a proud moment for the Foundation, we not only offer an adequate and safe environment for hundreds of children but we allow communities to strengthen [...] These new inauguration bring to 158 the number of schools projects already completed by the Digicel Foundation throughout the national territory, we are on the right track to reach our goal that is to reach 175 construction projects in Haiti by December 2016."

Haiti’s leaders must put country’s interest first

Chaos averted at the last minute by postponing election

Haiti’s woefully weak economy makes progress harder

BY SIR RONALD SANDERS

sirronaldsanders.com

Haiti has made a firm and important first step in taking responsibility for its affairs after decades of external interference. An agreement, reached on the night of February 5, twenty-four hours before the Presidency of Michel Martelly ended in accordance with the Constitution, was as historic as it was vital.

As I said in a report to the Permanent Council of the Organisation of American States (OAS) on a Special Mission I led to Haiti from January 31 to February 6, prior to the February 5 agreement, “Haiti faced — in very stark and real terms — a situation of potential chaos”.

SANDERS

On the ground, these are the realities that confronted the country:

President Martelly was demitting office in 7 days with no elected successor, and no agreed mechanism for how the country would be governed; political actors were jockeying for power, making agreement on a mechanism for an interim government extremely difficult; there was tension, uncertainty and simmering conflict; and the existing amended 1987 Constitution made no provision for a transitional government.

In this troubling scenario, there was no legal answer and no space for an externally-imposed “solution”. A way out of the morass had to be a political compact, made by the main Haitian players; it had to be one that they owned or there would be no chance for its implementation.

Of course, there were many claimants for the role of who should agree the way forward for Haiti. In the presidential election, which was suspended in January because of politically-organized violence, there were 54 candidates for the presidency. But, the first round held last October had resulted in two candidates securing 58.08 percent% between them. That left 52 losers for whom, as I told the OAS Permanent Council on February 12, “blaming the (elections) process as a whole is an irresistible magnet”. Nonetheless, despite their overwhelming rejection by the electorate, many of the 52 candidates have remained active, with a few not averse to dispatching their followers to the streets for protests.

The two “winners” of the first round of the October Presidential electoral contest were Jovenel Moise of PHTH (Martelly’s party) with 32.81 percent and Jude Celestin of LAPEH with 25.27 percent. As to be expected, Celestin led the chorus of the disappointed presidential contenders who alleged “massive fraud”, although none of the independent observers of the elections agreed. All the international observer groups concurred on many irregularities that were not sufficient to materially affect the first-round election result.

The second round, scheduled for December was postponed to January following demands by many of the candidates, led by Celestin, for changes in the process. But, even after changes were made, Celestin declared he would not contest the election. However, he did not withdraw his name formally. In the event, organized violence led to the second-round being suspended.

On the eve of Martelly’s departure, therefore, the country was faced with a crisis to which the existing Constitution provided no answer. Potentially it would be anarchy since no government would be in place. The judges of the Supreme Court themselves revealed to the OAS mission that I led that the answer to the problem was not legal; it had to be political but as close to the Constitution and the law as possible.

Recourse to a solution therefore resided in the only two institutions of government that were in existence with legitimate authority. Those were: Martelly, who was still constitutionally the president, and the National Assembly embodied by its President Jocelerme Privert. That is why these two constitutional entities were encouraged to find and agree on a solution that would take the country over the immediate obstacle of a constitutional vacuum, following Martelly’s departure without an elected successor, and would establish a mechanism for choosing an interim president and an interim prime minister to superintend the country’s affairs with a clear road map to the election of a new president by an agreed and certain date.

They did so at the 11th hour and after much debate, mind-changing, and interventions by vested interests. For instance, some persons, who would no longer command authority once Martelly demitted office, were encouraging him to continue in office after February 7 and until a new President could be elected. Had Martelly remained in office one day past February 7, a political fire of protests would have been lit that could have engulfed Haiti and retarded any hope of progress for decades. The cost to Haiti and its neighbors would have been beyond contemplation. The OAS is right to be satisfied with the friendly but impartial role it has played in Haiti, always at the request of its government.

The agreement, signed on the night of February 5 by Martelly, Privert and the president of the Lower Chamber of the National Assembly, Chozler Chancy, was imperative. As I said to the assembled Haitian negotiators, immediately after they signed the agreement in the Presidential Palace, they had “written their names in an important page of Haiti’s history, showing the world that they are capable of making mature decisions in a democratic way that would redound to Haiti’s benefit”.

The terms of the agreement have been met and are being implemented. Martelly demitted office properly with a passionate address to the National Assembly, and the Assembly agreed on the election of an Interim President — Privert — in a process that took less than 24 hours through spirited debate and bargaining. As I write, nominations for the interim prime minister are being discussed and should be settled shortly.

Haitian decision-makers have taken a crucial first step toward a sustainable democracy. Achieving it will not be painless, not least because it is all too easy for political losers to seek advantage by organising street demonstrations. Further, without a history of debate and decision-making within solid governmental institutions, democratic processes will be severely tested, and it will be up to the Haitian leaders to put the interests of their country first.

All this is more complicated because of Haiti’s poor economic circumstances. Its GDP per capita is $820, less than one-tenth of the Latin American average. Sixty percent of the population lives below the poverty line and the richest 20 percent accounts for 62 percent of the income. Shockingly, of the population of more than 10 million people, only 500,000 are in permanent employment. This situation is exacerbated by the expulsion by the Dominican Republic of Haitians who found work or were born in that country.

The Haitian leaders deserve every commendation and encouragement for the mature manner in which they have tackled their constitutional and political crisis. After the installation of a new, democratically-elected President, they will need to do much more, including reform of the Constitution, judiciary, electoral system and the system of maintaining law and order. In that way, they will encourage the countries of the Americas to help them help themselves.

Sir Ronald Sanders is chairman of the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States and Ambassador of Antigua and Barbuda.

U.S.-educated economist is new interim Haiti prime minister

BY JACQUELINE CHARLES

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Fritz Alphonse Jean, a U.S.-educated economist who once headed Haiti’s central bank, was installed Friday as the country’s new prime minister to help lead a caretaker government and complete suspended elections that have left Haiti without an elected president or full parliament.

In his acceptance speech, Jean acknowledged that his task is huge: He must not only create the conditions necessary for Haiti to hold free, fair, and transparent presidential and partial legislative elections by April 24, but simultaneously re-establish macro-economic stability.

“I am aware of the task ... that you have entrusted to me to win the trust of all stakeholders in this crisis,” Jean said.

Jean was tapped for the No. 2 job in the government by provisional President Jocelerme Privert. Privert spent two weeks in consultations with political and civic leaders to find a consensus prime minister as part of the Feb. 5 accord outlining the steps for a 120-day provisional government.

More technocrat than politician, Jean’s designation has stirred controversy, raising questions about how long before he and the consensus government he must now form can get to work.

While technically prime minister under Haiti’s amended 1987 constitution, Jean must still go before parliament to get a vote of confidence on his political program. Parliamentarians can reject the program, therefore holding up Jean’s ability to legitimately function. Some lawmakers close to former President Michel Martelly have argued that Jean is neither the consensus prime minister that the accord demanded, nor apolitical, and has roots in the same Fanmi Lavalas Party as Privert.

On Friday, outgoing Prime Minister Evans Paul also logged his objections. Surrounded by members of his soon-to-be-axed Cabinet, Paul accused Privert of violating the terms of the accord. He announced a boycott of the ceremony saying, “We are not going to help lead the country into chaos.”

Paul has been in a hostile public campaign against Privert, 62, ever since the interim president told reporters last week that Haiti was in dire financial straights.

Paul disputed the claims, while pointing out that the former Haitian Senate head, who was elected provisional president on Feb. 14 in a joint session of parliament, is the main beneficiary of the accord, which he helped negotiate. The same criticism, however, was made of Paul when he was tapped by Martelly in December 2014 to lead a consensus government after a presidential commission he sat on called for the removal of Martelly’s friend and business partner, Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe, to stave off a worsening political crisis.

Privert called on Haitians to set aside personal interests and work to help Haiti get out of the current crisis.

“We are all Haitians,” he said. “Let’s stop wasting time.”

Governor of the Banque de la République d’Haïti (BRH) from 1998 to 2001, Jean was the choice of human-rights organizations. Some interpret his selection as a sign that Privert views the provisional government’s role as broader than merely organizing elections. Privert also believes it should prevent a total collapse of the Haitian economy.

Since October, Haiti’s domestic currency has dropped in value by 17.75 percent and a factory worker today earns less today —$3.87 a day — after a hike in the minimum wage than before.

“The country’s finances are in an alarming and catastrophic situation,” Privert said last week during his first news conference.

A week before Privert took office, Martelly had stepped down from the presidency without an elected successor because of the disputed elections.

Privert has said that he intends “to do everything in my power, everything that depends on me, everything that depends on my ability, to meet the deadline and act in strict compliance with the deadline.” While trying to find a prime minister, he has also asked various sectors to designate individuals to fill six vacant seats on the Provisional Electoral Council.

Among the names that have been sent in is that of Jacques Bernard. A U.S. Agency for International Development employee, Bernard was designated by business leaders. He is considered a leading expert on Haiti’s electoral system. He served as executive director of the electoral council in 2006 but fled the country after citing fears for his life. He was tapped again in the 2010 elections to help verify the vote. Bernard’s name was proposed last year, but U.S. officials opposed his appointment.

A fiscal expert and former director of the Haitian revenue service (DGI), Privert has announced sweeping changes to reduce government spending. The new government, he has said, will have no more than 15 ministers. He also has not ruled out a financial audit to look into allegations of mismanagement and corruption by the Martelly administration.

He also asked Paul to suspend all appointments to public institutions, including foreign embassies and consulates, where dozens of nominations were made on the eve of Martelly’s departure. Firing back in the news media, Paul this week said the appointments were requested by legislators. He and Finance Minister Wilson Laleau also disputed Privert’s bleak view of the country’s finances, saying there is no reason for alarm.

Sources close to the president said that while organizing elections remains a top priority of the administration, so too is taking control of the country’s finances. In recent days, the palace has raised questions about a number of disbursements, including the granting of a $20 million line of credit by Laleau to an Israeli firm to control the country’s border with the Dominican Republic. Laleau defended his decision Thursday morning during an interview on Magik 9, saying the contract existed before the change of administrations.

In a communique, the palace has also demanded the return of all state-owned vehicles from former employees of the Martelly administration.

A vocal critic of the Martelly government’s unbridled spending, Jean was born in Cap-Haïtien and calls the town of Sainte-Suzanne in the northeast, home. A proponent of development of Haiti’s neglected northern region, he serves as president of the chamber of commerce of the Northeast Department.

Between 2007 and 2010, Jean was president of YMCA-Haiti. He’s a founding member of the Haitian Stock Exchange and an advocate of tourism promotion. He studied economics and mathematics at Fordham University and the New School for Social Research in New York before pursuing his professional career in Haiti.

In 1996, Jean was named vice governor of the central bank. Two years later, he was appointed governor. During his tenure, he signed the contract that led to the construction of the bank’s gleaming building in downtown Port-au-Prince. The move put him in conflict with then-President Jean-Bertrand Aristide and forced his 2001 departure from the bank.

Tzu Chi Foundation

Tzu Chi Foundation is feeding the poor patients in Haiti.

Tzu Chi volunteers in Haiti, are trying to put Master's teachings in practice. They cook themselves good vegetarian food to feed the poor patients. They also serve the food themselves. They are trying to promote vegetarian recipes and nutrition information dedicated to educating the poor patients and the interrelated issues of health and nutrition.