THE BEGINNING OF THE END FOR HAITI’S PRESIDENT JOVENEL MOISE

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Caribbean- December 23, 2020

TrueNewsBlog- TNB

By: Nathaniel Ballantyne

(TrueNewsBlog) – Haiti has always been in a quagmire, from food security to human rights abuses, to kidnapping and other crimes, while its current president Jovenel Moise has failed miserably to improve the lot of Haiti’s people. As Michel Martelly’s handpicked successor, Moise came to power in Haiti in 2016 with hopes that life in Haiti will indeed improve under his tutelage. In fact, things have gotten much worse. Joseph Biden’s election, a democrat as president of the United States, marks the beginning of the end for Jovenel Moise and his TET KALE party. 

Instead of improving the economic situations and providing security, Moise has turned the country into a criminal enterprise where criminal gangs controlled by the government have been kidnapping people for ransom. Moise refuses to organize legislative elections as scheduled, resulting in a one-man government ruling by decrees. 

Earlier this year, he issued a series of decrees, including lowering the age of consent to 15, infuriated the Catholic Church and civil society members. A few months ago, he issued a directive to the Minister of Interior to create an extra-judicial intelligence force reminiscent of Papa Doc Tonton Macoute force that terrorized the Haitian people

for over three decades. 

Jovenel Moise is increasingly acting like a dictator. U.S. President Donald Trump, who seems to admire dictators from Putin of Russia to Erdogan of Greece, has given his blessings to the Haitian president signaling U.S. support for Moise’s anti-democratic actions. During his failed campaign for re-election, Trump sent rapper Kanye West to Haiti to assure Moise that he will remain in power after February 7, 2020, the date that Moise’s term of office expires. 

On January 20, 2020, at noon, Biden will become the 46th president of the United States, and he has already signaled that Haiti must return to Democratic order. If Jovenel Moise and his acolytes did not understand Biden’s indication, U.S. Congressmen Gregory Meeks,(D-NY) incoming chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Andy Levin (D-MI), a ranking member of the committee made it crystal clear for Jovenel Moise in a stunning press release issued on December 22, 2020, less than 30 days before the Democrats take over the White House. Below is a copy of the press release received by TrueNewsBlog.

Powerful Congressmen Statement on Recent Developments in Haiti

Powerful Congressmen Statement on Recent Developments in Haiti

“December 22, 2020 Press Release

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today Congressman Andy Levin (MI-09), a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, along with Congressman Gregory Meeks (NY-05), incoming Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Albio Sires (NJ-08), Chair of the Western Hemisphere, Civilian Security and Trade Subcommittee, released the following statement on recent developments in Haiti.

“As members of the House of Representatives, we have spent recent weeks working urgently to rush relief to the American people amidst the COVID-19 public health and economic disasters. We want our friends in Haiti to know, however, that we are still watching what is unfolding there with growing concern. Haitian President Jovenel Moïse is pursuing an increasingly authoritarian course of action, issuing a series of recent decrees that include creating an extra-constitutional domestic “intelligence” force. His latest actions are reminiscent of past anti-democratic abuses the Haitian people have endured, including the run-up to the Duvalier dictatorship. We will not stand idly by while Haiti devolves into chaos.

“When the 117th Congress convenes, supporting democratic actors in Haiti will be a top concern for this committee. We will work urgently with the incoming Biden administration to develop a U.S. policy that prioritizes the rights and aspirations of the Haitian people and supports a credible, Haitian-led transition back to democratic order. We will engage international allies and institutions to coordinate a multilateral strategy to address the ongoing crisis in Haiti and pursue accountability for Haitian officials who commit human rights violations and acts of corruption. As members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, we consider it our responsibility to monitor the events in Haiti and work in close collaboration with Haitian civil society organizations and citizens of goodwill that seek peace and democracy in their country. We assure the Haitian people that, as we tackle the crises we face in our own country, we will not forget our neighbors or our commitment to protecting their human rights.”

The way to Democratic order in Haiti is simple, Jovenel Moise’s presidential term expires on February 7, 2020. He must leave office peacefully and be replaced by a credible transitional government with the following directives: 

1. To call for national reconciliation 
2. To organize a Constitutional Convention for the purpose of drafting a new constitution 
3. To organize a referendum for the people to vote to adopt the new constitution.
4. To combat criminal gangs that have taken over the metropolitan areas of Port-Au- Prince.
5. To organize fair and credible elections.

A new Haitian constitution must address the following issues clearly and concisely:

      1. Presidential terms of office, from one single term of five years to two consecutive terms of five years if re-elected. 

      2. A permanent CEP (“Conseil electoral Provisoire) to organize national and local elections.

      3. The status of the Haitian Diaspora and its participation in all aspects of the Haitian government.

       4. Abolishing the position of Prime Minister and replace it with a Vice-President.

       5. Create an independent judiciary with its own budget and enforcement mechanisms.

       6. Reducing political parties to two or three major parties, or at least create rules and procedures or safeguards that make it extremely hard to maintain multiple political parties.

For this plan to work the international community must play the role of an impartial umpire, allowing the Haitian people to air their grievances and to come up with a Haitian constitution that works for Haiti and addresses the important political issues facing the country. With a bold new constitution and the support of the international community, Haiti may once again become “La Perle Des Antilles.”