Government

President Martelly is on the verge of being impeached. He has delayed national and local elections for almost two years now, citing problems with seating permanent members of the Electoral Council (EC). Both the international community and members of his own government have been calling for elections to be held by the end of 2013. The U.S. is standing by, ready to provide funding, but Martelly keeps using the EC as a scapegoat for not holding elections.

On September 16th, the Patriotic Movement of the Democratic Opposition is planning to assemble a coalition of 11 political parties to move against the Martelly government. They are encouraging Parliament to vote on a proposal presented by 13 Deputies.

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During a confidence hearing on 5 November, 2013, the Senator Wencesclass Lambert said, there are enough votes in the Senate to relieve Jean Renel Sanon from his duty as the Haitian Minister of Justice and Public Safety. On the same day, 18 out of 20 Senators signed a letter contemplating an interpellation of three ministers, David Bazile (Minister of Interior and Collective Territories), Pierre Richard Casimir (Minister of Foreign Affairs) and Jean Renel Sanon (Minister of Justice and Public Safety).

Being a Minister of Justice and Public Safety of the country, Sanon exposed the incompetence and callousness of his own justice administration in an murder attempt of popular Journalist and Radio Host, Jean Monard Metellus, of Radio Caraibes. Metellus is a respected fair journalist and in some sense very critical of the Martelly administration.

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Thousands of hopeful Haitians await the issuance of their blue and silver embossed passports, to be granted to them by the Republic of Haiti. They have waited for two years to hear from President Michel Martelly that, while their passports are now ready, they have not yet been made available. So, it is with bated breath, vexation and anxiety that the applicants wait to hear how this extensive delay will affect their fees applicable.

According to the Director General of the immigration and emigration service, Claude Raymond Junior, what they await is the go-ahead from the Martelly Government, allowing them to begin issuing the passports.

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The Haitian Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe visited the island of Ile a Vache, on August 20, 2013-- the most beautiful island in the Caribbean and a promising tourist destination in Haiti. He was accompanied by the Tourism Minister and the Minister of Social Affairs of the state. The Prime minister laid the first stone on the island's upcoming community centre that will include a library with a reading room, café and other entertainment amenities within its vast 120 square meter space. The Prime Minister said the project is the most ambitious project during the five year tenure of President Michel Martelly.

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Me Francisco René, the Chief Prosecutor of Port-de-Paix, has been appointed as the Prosecutor of Port-au-Prince and the 9th Commissioner in the President Martelly Government since it came to power. He replaced Me Lucmane Delille, who held this office since October 30, 2012. Me Delille, the former commissioner of Port-au-Prince, has been transferred to the Ministry of Justice.

The appointment of Me Francisco René as the new Prosecutor of Port-au-Prince was confirmed by the Minister of Justice, Jean Renel Sanon, on August 19, 2013. Me Francisco René, as the former Chief Prosecutor of Port-au-Prince, has left behind a mixed record of several unsolved political and judicial scandals. Although Mr. Rene is already a reputed leader of ASMAH, an association of pro-government judges, his appointment as the Prosecutor of Port-au-Prince came amidst stern condemnation and protest even before he took charges as the Ninth Commissioner of the Government.

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The narrative of Haiti's first family being investigated on corruption charges has just taken a new twist in an ever-widening net of conspirators plotting Martelly's downfall. Human rights attorney, Andre Michel, is representing Enold Florestal, a citizen who filed the complaint, accused First Lady, Sophia Martelly, and son, Oliver Martelly, with embezzlement of government funds. Florestal was arrested for his part in the killing of Frantzy Duverseau three years ago.

Michel claims Martelly government proxies bribed Florestal to withdraw the complaint. But he refused, and Judge Lamarre Belizaire, new on the case, pursued Florestal, and had him arrested. An outpouring of public condemnation against Belizaire made his task difficult. But he finally swore out a warrant to capture Florestal and his brother, Josue, incarcerating them for Duverseau's death.

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Judge jean serge joseph recently died of a cerebral hemorrhage two days after attending a meeting regarding the corruption case against First Lady, Sophia Martelly, and son Oliver. Some believe Judge Joseph's death came at the hands of the Martelly-Lamothe administration.

The Ministry of Justice (MOJ), pressured to address Joseph's death, called for Parliament to form a committee to investigate the circumstances of the meeting. The Special Senate

The Committee's report concludes, after taking testimony from first- and second-hand sources, extreme pressure was exerted on Joseph to stop proceedings against Mrs. Martelly and Oliver Martelly. But the MOJ questions the conclusions of the Committee. It says prejudice and irrationality clouded the testimonies, and can't be given much credence.

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The report of the Senate Special Committee that was investigating whether or not there was a meeting between Judge Jean Serge Joseph, and the executive branch prior to his death has come out.

The investigation in fact confirmed that President Michel Martelly, Prime Minister Laurent Lamother and the Minister of Justice Jean Renel Sanon indeed met the magistrate Jean-Serge Joseph. According to Senate Special Committee report, the meeting was held on July 11, 2013, at the Chambers of Garry Lissade. It was further revealed that the meeting was facilitated by Mr. Raymond Jean-Michel, the Dean of the Court of First Instance of Port-au-Prince.

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South East's 1st Senator, Edwin "Edo" Zenny, went in a defensive mode on Friday July 5th, 2013 against the accusations made by Sherlson Sanon. Sanon, a 25 year old man from Jacmel, Haiti publicly confessed that the Senator had approached him to commit several crimes. Zenny, who spoke without a lawyer, said on Thursday, July 4, that he chose lawyer to speak on behalf of him to the press but with the accusations of Sanon made public on Thursday night, Edwin felt it necessary to defend himself.

Edwin denied all accusations made by Sherlson Sanon in his public confession and said that he never met Sanon. Edwin questioned about the meeting place with Sanon, if at all they actually met and ask Sanon to plot the the crimes as mentioned by Sanon in his public confession.

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Once again, a member of the Haitian Chamber of Deputy with a problem of anger management.

During a Finance Committee held by Deputy Rodon Bien-Aime, Deputy Fritz Gerald Bourjolly of Aquin got very upset to the point where he started throwing microphones, glasses, desks and anything he could find in the room to express his frustration.

Here is the video footage of the scene.

Here is Arnel Belizaire in action....

As you may recollect, this is not the first time the Chamber of Deputies was victimized following the frustration of its members. Haitian Deputy Arnel Belizaire recently exploded at the Haitian parliament, throwing a total of three desks across the room in a similar incident.

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