Saturday, June 9, 2012

ARTICLE - POLITICAL CONVENTION - AMENDMENT

THE CONVENTION OF POLITICAL PARTIES OPPOSED TO THE PUBLICATION OF THE AMENDED CONSTITUTION
(Haiti Libre) -

Friday, the Convention of political parties has recommended to the Head of State not to publish the amended text of the Constitution, and proposed to relaunch the amendment process.

In his speech, Turnep Delpé, the Representative of the National Progressive Democratic Party of Haiti (PNDPH) declared that "...the Convention of Haitian political parties is concerned by the statements of some members of the Executive, which suggests that President Michel Martelly is preparing to publish the controversial text of the amended Constitution of 1987. The PNDPH wishes to reiterate its position on this issue of national interest.

- The considerations of the legal nature presented on 6 January 2012 remain valid and recommend the non-publication of the amended text and we remember them:

- The result of the work of the National Assembly dated May 9, 2011, resulted in a suspicious document causing doubts.....;

- The procedure according to the requirements of the 1987 Constitution was not faithfully followed ;

Only the French version was amended, thus keeping intact the full content of the Creole version in substance and in form.

On the political point of view, the publication of the controversial text, is likely to weaken the integrity of the Senate in the current context, especially since a group of nine senators voted publicly against this publication.

The President of the Republic, under Article 138 of the 1987 Constitution, is the guarantor of national independence; consequently, he does not have to submit to the desires of certain personalities in the international community, which demanded the publication of the controversial text [a view shared at the Convention by Victor Benoit, President of the Convention].

What should count above all, is the democratic stability of the Nation. Any publication of the text, can only further divide the country in the socio-political point of view. The interest of the nation well understood, preferably requires in this conjuncture, a search for political consensus. With these legal and policy considerations, the Convention of Haitian political parties, reiterates its recommendation not to publish the amended text, and in addition, calls for the mobilization of active forces and organizers of the Nation, for a wide consultation, that should lead to an amendment proposal to be submitted to Parliament at the last session of the 49th Legislature..."

For his part, Victor Benoit, predicted that if the text is published as it is, this will lead to a situation of polarization, which will give birth to two opposing political blocs around the text. He calls for the mobilization and the consensus of the political class to work on a new amendment proposal.

The economist Camille Charlmers, Executive Secretary of the Haitian Advocacy Platform for Alternative Development (PAPDA) considers that "it would be a grave error if the head of state decided to publish the amended Constitution as it is", and also urges the President, not to publish the text of the amended Constitution for formal reasons of procedures. The solution requires the involvement of political actors in the development of a new consensual text.

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