ARTICLE - G16 MEETING WITH CONILLE

SPECIAL MEETING BETWEEN THE G16 AND DR. GARRY CONILLE
(Haiti Libre) -

Senator Francky Exius [member of the G16) confirmed that a special meeting between Dr. Garry Conille and all members of the G16 was scheduled for this Thursday at the headquarters of the platform INITE [in Canape Vert]. This will undoubtedly be the last opportunity for Dr. Garry Conille, to try to convince the Senators of the G16 who are still divided, to vote in his favor. After the meeting, the G16 will decide a common position on the outcome of the vote. Senator Joseph Lambert said that the sharing of responsibilities [of power] will be the focus of this meeting...

The G16, which is the majority in the Upper House, "seems "less demanding..." but still remains divided. The Senators of the minority now pose conditions to vote in favor of Prime Minister-designate...

A subcommission has verified the authenticity of certificates of identity and residence of Dr. Garry Conille [to the National Identification Office of Identification, at City Hall and the Court of Peace of Petion-ville]. Dieuseul Simon Desras, President of the Commission responsible for analyzing the documents of the candidate for Prime Minister, announced that the report of the Commission should be delivered to the office of the Senate Thursday afternoon "We have no interest to take further time [...] the Commission did its job as it should be done, and not to please some people."

Describing as "very difficult" the case of Dr. Conille, the President of the Commission suggested that the recommendations do not go in the direction of a vote for or against and that it relies on the sovereign decision of the Assembly, specifying that despite the disagreements between the members of the commission, they all signed the conclusions and recommendations of the report.

The Senators requested that the report of the Commission be available to them 48 hours before the ratification meeting and not 24 hours as requested earlier in the week. Senator Jean Willy Jean-Baptiste, in favor of the candidacy of Dr. Conille believes that the ratification [vote] could take place next Monday.

Senators Andrice Riché and Jean William Jeanty disapprove of the favorable vote of the deputies for the Prime Minister-designate. Andrice Riché has described the vote as "indecent" and Senator Jeanty that "This vote has strengthened the tutelage of Haiti". Dr. Westner Polycarpe, another member of the G16, raises several problematic elements in the record and expressed reluctance to give his vote to the candidate of the Head of State.

The U.S. ambassador to Haiti, Kenneth Merten, hopes that the ratification takes place quickly "...what I know, is that the Senate is doing its job. It is necessary that it deliberates, but honestly, like everyone knows, it's time that there is a government. I hope that everything will be done correctly but quickly..."

For his part, Sorel Jacinthe, the President of the Lower House, invites the Senators to ratify the choice of Dr. Conille as Prime Minister stressing that the country must finally have a government...