ARTICLE - CONILLE APPROVED BY COMMITTEE

CONILLE GETS CRUCIAL NOD FROM HAITI COMISSION
(Miami Herald) - By Jacqueline Charles

Dr. Garry Conille, the latest nominee for Prime Minister, receives a critical nod from a parliamentary committee.

A Haiti-born senior U.N. official tapped to fill a months-long political vacuum in his homeland should become prime minister, a commission charged with reviewing his qualifications said in a 21-page parliamentary report obtained by The Miami Herald.

“The Special Parliamentary Committee has the privilege to recommend to the Assembly of the Chamber of Deputies to give a favorable vote to ratify the choice of Prime Minister-designate’’ Dr. Garry Conille, the commission said.

The commission that prepared the report was led by Deputy Levaillant Louis-Jeune, and consisted of nine members of the lower house, also known as the Chamber of Deputies. The Chamber plans to vote Friday on Conille’s nomination.

The commission’s tasks included examining the authenticity of four passports that Conille submitted, among other documents, to determine whether he meets the technical requirements of Haiti’s 1987 Constitution. Among them: is he Haitian, has he paid taxes, and does he have five years consecutive residency in the country prior to his nomination by Haitian President Michel Martelly earlier this month.

For weeks, lawyers and lawmakers debated the issue. A favorable vote in the lower house would bring Conille two steps closer to giving the Martelly administration a government. Two previous choices for prime minister have been rejected by parliament, and the political stalemate has triggered frustration and exhaustion, and cost an earthquake-ravaged Haiti more than $100 million in foreign aid.

Conille, 45, is a physician who serves as the United Nations Development Program’s country representative in Niger. But he’s best known as the assistant to former President Bill Clinton in his role as U.N. Special Envoy to Haiti and co-chairman of the Interim Haiti Recovery Commission.

His selection has been controversial with some lawmakers who see it as a move by the international community to gain more of a foothold in Haiti, while others have viewed it as a guarantee of support as Haiti struggles to recover from the earthquake and encourage foreign investment.

Conille has insisted that he’s not the international community’s candidate, but someone who has benefitted from his years in the United Nations to help lead Haiti through challenging times.

He also argues — and the commission agreed — that his diplomatic status, special visa and Haiti’s U.N. membership means that he has remained a resident of Haiti and fulfilled his obligations, including paying taxes.