ARTICLE - DIASPORA EQUAL CITIZENS

ARTICLES 11 AND 12 DECLARE DIASPORA EQUAL CITIZENS
(Defend Haiti) - By Samuel Maxime

PORT-AU-PRINCE - Who and what constitutes Citizenship has changed in the Constitution of Haiti 2011. Multi-nationality is allowed but not for the President of the Republic, before, or while in office. The process was initiated by former President Rene Preval. This amendment was proposed by the 48th Legislature and accepted by the 49th Legislature.

Changes were made to ARTICLES 11 and 12, as they were stripped from describing a citizen as one who is born in Haiti. ARTICLE 12 goes further and reaffirms that persons not born in the country, but to Haitian parents, are not second class citizens in Haiti.

ARTICLE 11, old text:

Any person born of a Haitian father or Haitian mother who are themselves native-born Haitians and have never renounced their nationality possesses Haitian nationality at the time of birth.

This now reads:

Any person born of a Haitian father or Haitian mother, who are themselves native-born Haitians and have not given up their nationality possesses Haitian nationality..

In this amendment the people of Haiti decided that nationality could not be denied by the factor or understanding of any sort of birth except that either parent was a Haitian of native birth. The parent must also not have given up their Haitian nationality.

ARTICLE 12:

A new section to ARTICLE 11 was added, section ARTICLE 11.1. It was basically a move of the previous ARTICLE 12 which permitted non-Haitians to acquire Haitian nationality but also referred non-Haitians as to how it should be done.

ARTICLE 11.1 says:

The Act establishes conditions under which an individual can acquire Haitian nationality.

The 12th article is changed, and it's two sections from the 1987 Constitution. ARTICLE 12.1 and 12.2 were removed. ARTICLE 12 now describes the rights of a citizen rather than formerly describing how citizenship is lost.

This is what ARTICLE 12 reads now:

Every Haitian is subject to all rights, duties and obligations attached to their Haitian nationality. No Haitian cannot prevail nationality of the foreign Territory of the Republic of Haiti.

This is what ARTICLE 12 and 13-15 used to read:

ARTICLE 12:
Haitian nationality may be adquired by naturalization.

ARTICLE 12-1:

After five years of continuous residence in the territory of the Republic, any foreigner may obtain Haitian nationality by naturalization, in conformity with the regulations established by law.

ARTICLE 12-2:

Haitians by naturalization shall be allowed to exercise the right to vote but they must wait five(5) years after the date of their naturalization to be eligible to hold public posts other than those reserved by the Constitution and by law for native-born Haitians.

ARTICLE 13:

Haitian nationality is lost by:

a. Naturalization in a foreign country;

b. Holding a political post in the service of a foreign country;

c. Continuous residence abroad of a naturalized Haitian without duly granted authorization by a competent official. Anyone who loses his nationality in this manner may not reacquire it.

ARTICLE 14:

A naturalized Haitian may recover his Haitian nationality by meeting all of the conditions and formalities imposed on aliens by the law.

ARTICLE 15:

Dual Haitian and foreign nationality is in no case permitted.