ARTICLE - MARTELLY - DESSALINES

'DESSALINES IS NOT DEAD FOR A BIG THANK YOU'
(Haiti Libre) -

President Michel Martelly, after laying a wreath at Pont-Rouge (Chancerelles), has commemorated this Monday, October 17, 2011, at Marchand Dessalines, the 205th anniversary of the assassination of the founding father of the Haitian nation, Jean-Jacques Dessalines. Accompanied by his wife Sophia Martelly, his private cabinet, the Prime Minister Garry Conille, the members of the ministerial cabinet, members of the Superior Court of Auditors and the Rector of the State University of Haiti, Mr. Henry Vernet, the Head of the State attended the official ceremony, held in the St. Claire d'Assise Parish.

The homily focused on the importance of the unconditional union of the son of the Nation, of the State contribution to agriculture, of the free and accessible education advocated by the Head of State and a set of elements crucial to the development of the rule of law in Haiti. The impunity which is a major impediment to democracy,... the Peace that can not be installed without a strong and fair justice system, and without reparation, are recurring themes on this day, commemorating the death of the Emperor Jacques 1st. President Martelly believes that the time has come to prioritize the truth, transparency and integrity to achieve change.

After the Te Deum, President Martelly laid a wreath of flowers at the feet of the statue of Dessalines, erected on the Place d'Armes in Marchand, before speaking to the Nation of Haiti. His patriotic message calls for unity and civic engagement. "Our mistakes, our selfishness are the evils that 'eat' us. Together we are looking for the path of change," declared the Head of the State.

Excerpts of the Speech of President Martelly :

"Today October 17, makes us think of the curse that fell on Haiti, when in 1806, they murdered our father, Jean Jacques Dessalines at Pont Rouge,... 205 years later, it hurts me when I see that Haiti never managed to find the path of freedom [...] we have forgotten that we are the children of valiant men who died to give us freedom, so that today we can not take care of ourselves, we find ourselves asking for charity ...]

...I have a love for my country [...] I renew my commitment so that I can gather all the children of the country, in the same way that Jean Jacques Dessalines had gathered all the forces of the country, even his enemies to fight and give us independence...

...I learned a lot of Dessalines and in my life, I tried to implement it [...] when all the children of Haiti get together, is the only way to get out of the situation where we are... that's why I visited all the Heads of State living in the country,... whatever their political affiliation because "Union is Strength", we will manage to put the country back on its' feet. [...] With the death of Dessalines, on October 17, 1806, all of his ideas, his mind all the lessonsthat we have learned, all the roads he had drawn for us... were all buried with him... [...]

...People of Haiti, now it's the whole country which calls for help [...] I ask you all, to put yourselves together, ... to build up the country of Haiti that Dessalines saw in his dreams. At this point, I think that all together we can say that Dessalines is not dead for a big thank you...

...I want to give thanks, because it is you who have made me the Head of State,... I heard many of your claims [...] I take this opportunity to inform you that I have ordered 80,000 bags of fertilizer [...] Now that I have my Prime Minister, my government, I will enter this fertilizer [...] and this fertilizer, I will give to you, because I know that you lost your crops, that you do not have support, and now the state is here,... it wants to serve the people and help the children of the country [...]" The President explained that in the future the fertilizer will not be free, but that the government will monitor the price of fertilizer. "There will no longer be a price of 200, 300, 400 dollars [Haitian ]..." before continuing on to the reconstruction of country

"[...] the work will not be easy [...] it will take time [...] you too, you must help to change the country. I told you that in my campaign... A single person can not change the country. It is all of us together who can change the country [...] Today, I think that Michel Martelly should get together with Aristide, Preval, Duvalier, with everyone in the country [...] to fix our country. We are Haitian, our problems, we must solve them ourselves, .... and we can not resolve them with division. Remember our motto 'Union is Strength'.

I count on you. You can continue to count on me. Haiti will have to change. Tet Kale!"