Haiti Government - Haiti Observer Blog

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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The Haitian government is led by a president, who shares his/her executive power with the prime minister. Once elected by popular vote, the president will run the country for five years. After the term, the president could not run in the next election. He/she has to wait for five years in order to seek a second term. Haiti presidents can only serve for a maximum of two terms.

Not everyone can run for president as there are certain qualifications and requirements to be eligible for the seat. Only candidates with Haitian citizenship by birth can run for the position, as well as those who are at least 35 years of age. Jail sentence, loss of civil rights and lack of property ownership and residency can make a candidate ineligible to assume the position.

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I am not kidding!

The current Haitian president, Michel Martelly, admitted that Clifford Brandt kidnapping network was so powerful in Haiti that it has the ability to overthrow the Government.

The declaration came while the Haitian president was in Europe. Martelly made the declaration at a meeting with the EP Committee on Foreign Affairs, jointly with the Committee on Development and in association with a Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly.

"We Need help"

According to Michel Martelly, "This is the first time in Haiti we dismantles a network of bandits of this magnitude".

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Over the years, Haiti has dealt with several disasters. The latest calamity it had to face was Hurricane Sandy, which claimed the lives of more than 50 people. The hurricane also destroyed houses, farms and infrastructure when it battered the country for days. Threats of cholera outbreaks and other diseases also loom over the country as about 350,000 people lost their homes.

With the situation, the government under President Michel Martelly called on the international community for help. Together with the United Nations, the government asked for additional $74 million in relief aid, which will be used to rehabilitate farms and reconstruct homes, among others. Basically, the government is depending on foreign assistance to deal with the disaster's aftermath. The call for help was not ignored, as foreign charity organizations such as Oxfam and the United Nations relief agency have been working to help people affected by the hurricane.

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Former head of presidential security, Mr. Carel Alexander will now serve as the director-general of Haiti's Ministry of Defense. During a ceremony on Tuesday, Defense Minister Jean Rodolphe Joazile announced Alexander's appointment. As the new director-general, Alexander will coordinate, monitor, and liaise all the ministry's technical and external services. He will closely work with Joazile.

In his speech, Carel Alexander, a former commander of the Corps of Intervention and Maintenance of Order and former head of presidential security, expressed appreciation over the appointment. He said that being named as the new Defense Ministry director-general is a chance for him to serve the country once again. He vowed to commit himself to the efforts of the Defense Ministry to protect the country and ensure peace and order. He promised to utilize his skills, knowledge, and capabilities to support the ministry's initiatives and to carry out the tasks given to him.

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The population has been until recently very patient with the Haitian government. In the mean time, the Martelly - Lamothe government has been trying to get the economic engine of Haiti running but to little success so far. This week, the second largest city, Cap-Haitian, and the third largest city, Les Cayes, have demonstrated publically their frustration with the current government.

Hundreds of people took to the streets in the city of Cap-Haitian on Wednesday to protest against the deterioration of their living conditions. Some of the protesters denounced the recent behavior of the government, calling it continuous propaganda campaign

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