government Corruption - Haiti Observer Blog

A major Canadian Daily newspaper and online publisher, TheStar.com, has reported that a powerful ally of the Haitian government made damaging allegation about the government. The lead singer of the popular music band RAM and the owner of the historic hotel in port-au-Prince Hotel Oloffson, Richard Morse, told the newspaper that he left the government because of corruption and infrastructure sabotage.

According to TheStar.com, Richard Morse stated: " I saw proof of workers filling drainage canals just before the rainy season, which resulted in flooding. He also said: "If you are creating disasters, it can only be for aid money," . In addition, he stated that he has seen evidence of "fake cheques, people getting paid who no longer worked there."

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Richard Morse, former Special Envoy for Political Affairs in the Martelly government, quit in January 2012. He gave no explanation then, but has now agreed to talk about it.

He said he resigned due to endemic corruption within Martelly's administration. Morse, Martelly's cousin, related how he attempted to get investigations started on two occasions without success. Working at the National Palace, he saw proof of officials' malfeasance. Many of them were collecting paychecks, although no longer on the government payroll. Morse also discovered public-works laborers pouring water into run-off ditches just before Haiti's storm season. The reason was self-evident to Morse: "If you are creating disasters, it can only be for aid money." Morse reported the criminal acts to government authorities, who blatantly ignored him, much to his distress.

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A country's economic growth is dependent on two factors namely, 'Entrepreneurship' and 'Government'. While the two are not really exclusive mutually, the two can lead to sustainable economic growth. Either the government must undertake the economic development or it must provide assistance to the private sector entrepreneurs to carry out certain developmental works in an environment that is targeted towards the welfare of the economy as a whole. When this happens, any economy shows rapid and sustained growth. For Haiti however, the situation was and is different.

The biggest obstacle for Haitian economic growth is the political system of the country. For years, the country was under military rule and dictatorship. However, after the end of dictatorship when the country selected the party led by Jean-Bertrand Aristide through its first free election, the people of Haiti felt a sense of relief that wasn't long lasting. The government turned out to be more like a dictator with government officials getting involved in trafficking of drug. The leaders of the government called themselves as the 'Anti-Liberals'.

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Guire Poulard, the Archbishop of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, was quite critical about the Lamothe/Martelly led government, during the mass held on Tuesday. The mass was held to mark Haiti's 209th anniversary of gaining independence and the 46th International Peace Day.

Things The Archbishop Was Critical About
At this mass he extended denunciation of corruption to the police, judiciary and the parliament. He was critical about a number of things like per diem expenditure, inequality denouncement, public resource wastage on travel, corruption and a large sector purchase of the press regarding forwarding incorrect information to the public.

As per the prelate in Catholics, it is not very normal that per diems of twenty thousand US dollars get paid to the authorities when they go to rest in a foreign land after or before the activities for the purpose for which they have to leave the country.

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Haiti's Carnival has a dark side when it comes to music played during its annual celebration . At the festival, revelers respond to messages contained within song lyrics, and what they suggest sometimes makes the government of Haiti (GOH) uneasy. Some songs encourage festival celebrants to act out their resentment at the GOH.

During Carnival '97, the monster hit of music group Koudjay, "Si Yo Vle", urged Haitians to hang amoral politicians then in power. In response, many symbolic hangmen's nooses whirled above the crowd. Although the GOH refrained from commenting on the song, they responded with a direct show of force. Forty SWAT officers were deployed to brandish their semi-automatic rifles at the crowd with gestures that intended serious injury.

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The early years of independent politics in Haiti are marked by coup d'états and violence as several powerful political leaders clash for total control over the country. One of these notorious figures in this era of political turmoil is François Duvalier, more popularly known as "Papa Doc".

Francois Duvalier was Haiti's president for fourteen years from 1957 until his death in 1971. Before becoming the country's most powerful man, he was a physician in local hospitals and communities in the country where he treated the poor from infectious tropical diseases such as malaria and typhus. With his recollection of brutal political conflicts happening in Haiti during his time, Francois Duvalier was inspired to enter the world of politics. He was selected by then President Dumarsais Estimé as the National Public Health Service's Director General.

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Baby Doc Jean Claude Duvalier was the son of Papa Doc Francois Duvalier, the 40th Haitian president who was a famous dictator and had once proclaimed to be the President for life. Jean Claude Duvalier took over the throne after his father's death in 1971 at the age of 19 years. He remains to be the youngest president ever to have reigned over any state or country.

After his rise to power, Baby Doc Jean Claude Duvalier initiated some changes which were drawing Haiti closer to democratic leadership. He released some of the political prisoners who had been jailed, replaced the cabinet members with younger ones and made press quite independent. However, he was no better than his father as he pinned down any opposition and appointment of major government officials were still under his control. His mother, Simone, also offered vital political support to ensure that his son remained in power. To some extent, it worked out well as Baby Doc Jean Claude Duvalier managed to survive on the throne till 1986.

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The National Network for the Defense of Human Rights (RNDDH) has made public some very interesting information about Clifford Brandt and his kidnapping Network. This is something that may be shocking to many; however, the report indicated that the current Haitian government had some pretty good information about who had kidnapped Nicolas Moscoso and Coralie Moscoso, they ad decided not to be involved.

Are you serious?

What is the purpose for electing a president of a country?

"Papa Desalyn, Nou Mélé"

The RNDDH reported that it was not until the U.S. government got involved that the Haitian authorities decided to act. Luckily, The Moscoso family had contacted about the kidnapping

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In her report titled "The Path of Millions," Nuria Piera uncovers how money changed hands between President Michel Martelly and his close friend in the Dominican Republic through irregular awarding of contracts. In total, the president whose term is now under siege following the revelation, has received $2,587,100 from companies associated or owned by his close ally, Senator Batista through wire transfers.

Nuria Peria was born on June 29, 1962 in a family of people with a heart for journalism. She is the mother of Paola MacKiney, who she gave birth to in 2000 following a 1 year relationship with Paul McKinney, a Dominican who she divorced in 2005. After her divorce she dated Felucho Jimenez, a politician in the Dominican Republic.

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Is this a case of corruption when 11 members of Inite party are engaged in consulting jobs? Some how I did not know it was so easy to get a job in Haiti.

The RNDDH reported that several current Haitian Parliamentarians were being paid as consultants from October 2010 at the Ministry of Interior. All were members of the Inite Platform. According to the report, these are the same people who were responsible to fight corruption.

"Rat Kay Kap Mange Poul Kay"

Based on the report issued by RNDDH, except for one, all Deputies Under Inite Platform were receiving Monthly salary of 100,000 gourdes, each.

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