ARTICLE - ZENNY - COLOR AND CLASS STRUGGLE

SENATOR ZENNY: "COLOR AND CLASS STRUGGLE: AT HEART OF HAITIAN POLITICS
(Defend Haiti) - By Marie-France Dessaline

PORT-AU-PRINCE - Senator Edwin Zenny of the Sud Est Department is a third generation descent of a Lebanese business family out of Jacmel. He
has characterized a war between his colleagues in the Senate and the President of the Republic, Michel Martelly, as one in which "class and color" are at the heart of the battle.

A unique racial point of view takes a hold of Haitian parliamentary members - after the rejection of the president's 2nd prime minister. Bottom line, is it a matter of color, or is it a matter of class?

An intently outspoken advocate for the President, rarely holding back punches, Senator Zenny, shares his department with two other senators, the brothers Joseph and Wencesclass Lambert. The Lamberts, notably Joseph, represents a hard line of Parliamentarians who have been in opposition to Michel Martelly.

Senator Zenny was speaking out against any cohabitation with the group of 16 Senators who recently rejected Bernard Gousse for Prime Minister, of whom the Lambert brothers’ made a strong opposition.

Zenny said that between President Michel Martelly and a number of members of parliament there is "not just a power struggle but a class and color struggle."

While retorting to the Senator of the Nord, Moïses Jean-Charles, Zenny said that, He did not choose the color of his skin, thus cannot be blamed for being who he is and/or what color is his skin; and then lost it and called his colleague a flat out, "fool".

"Senator Moïses Jean-Charles treats me as ‘affranchi’ (a privileged, abusive class during colonial times) because of my color," said Zenny. He then stressed further that former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide and Rene Preval both married mulatto women.

Senator Zenny emphasized to his colleague from the North that he did not choose to be a mulatto.

Senator Zenny believes that Martelly must govern with his own political party, because the parliamentarians are opposed to change and are held back by the old regime of values that has battered the country for the past 25 years.