ARTICLE - MARTELLY - PARL. WORK WITH ME

MARTELLY WANTS HAITIAN PARLIAMENT TO WORK WITH HIM
(Miami Herald) - By Jacqueline Charles

On the eve of the second anniversary of the Haiti earthquake, President Michel Martelly calls on parliament to help him build a better Haiti.By

PORT-AU-PRINCE - Haiti President Michel Martelly called on lawmakers to collaborate with him to build a vibrant post-quake nation that offers employment and investment opportunities.

Martelly’s pledge to make Haiti’s poverty-stricken economy more dynamic came on the opening day of parliament after a four-month recess by the lower chamber of deputies. The national address was Martelly’s first since his May 2011 inauguration.

“This year, to have Haiti emerge we have no choice but to do it together,” Martelly said. “Your work is huge and deserves respect. The way I conceive it, the state must be at the service of its citizens and this requires harmony in the action of its three powers.’’

Monday’s gathering came amid brewing questions about the fate of legislative elections and constitutional amendments, and accusations over citizenship that could potentially plunge Haiti deeper into crises, and further delay recovery from the Jan. 12, 2010, earthquake. Thursday will mark the two-year anniversary of the disaster that killed more than 300,000 Haitians, including two parliamentarians.

In the eight months that Martelly has been in power, Haiti has been skating from one dilemma to another — the most recent involving the arrest of a deputy in the chamber of deputies. On Monday, some deputies vowed that the incident — named after the deputy and called the Arnel Belizaire Affair — is not over, saying they will go after government ministers involved in the affair.

“We will jointly deal with the Arnel Belizaire affair, and take the decisions that we have to take, such as laws on decentralization,” said Levaillant Louis-Jeune, former president of the chamber of deputies.

Among the unresolved issues facing parliament:

• Still-unpublished amendments to the constitution, which would among other things provide Haitians living in the diaspora greater opportunity to own land and invest. Martelly appears to be wavering after telling members of the international community last month that he would publish the amendments.

• Unscheduled legislative and local elections.

• The budget. The country has been operating on an old budget, which doesn’t reflect the priorities of the president.

• Reconstitution of the army. The United States and others want the focus to be on building a stronger police force. On Monday, Martelly reiterated his support for the army, saying a new defense force “will ensure our sovereignty and prepare in advance the departure” of the U.N. peacekeeping forces.

• Renewal of the Interim Haiti Recovery Commission charged with reconstruction. Martelly and Prime Minister Garry Conille support a one-year extension. Parliament is divided, raising questions about how outstanding donor aid will be delivered and the future of reconstruction efforts.

With the exception of the army, Martelly made no mention of the unresolved issues in his speech.

Also bubbling up are commission reports on the electoral fraud during the presidential election; the nationality of government ministers, including the president and prime minister, and other members of the government. Haiti’s constitution doesn’t recognize dual citizenship, making anyone with another nationality unable to serve.

The nationality issue has been the focus of discussions in recent days with opposition Sen. Moise Jean-Charles claiming to have proof that Martelly, who lived in the United States for several years, is a U.S. citizen.

The president has not publicly addressed the issue and his office did not respond to requests for comment.

Haiti observers and activists fear the allegations, whether true or not, are something a fragile Haiti can ill afford.

“The situation is blocked and you don’t see where you are headed,” said Pierre Esperance, a Haitian human rights activist. “I am very pessimistic. The chief of state has to harmonize his relationship with parliament. If they don’t come together, we will be in crisis all of the time.”

Sen. Michel Clerie, a Martelly supporter, said he hopes “we can move forward.” He welcomed both Martelly’s speech and that of Conille who Monday listed a number of previously blocked donor-financed projects that are well under way.

Sen. Steven Benoit, an opposition senator, said lawmakers need to be able to tell constituents where the country is headed.“Nothing is happening,” he said.