ARTICLE - "MICHAEL" MARTELLY - ALIAS?

SENATORS DISCOVER U.S. PASSPORT CARRYING MICHAEL MARTELLY AS POSSIBLE ALIAS OF PRESIDENT
(Defend Haiti) -

PORT-AU-PRINCE - On November 21st, 2007, then-President of Kompa, Michel Martelly, boarded an American Airlines flight to Florida, USA with possibly a U.S. passport, according to several persons who traveled that day, and a manifest produced by the airline company.

This news was confirmed by Senator Francois Anick Joseph (Artibonite/AAA), who said that witnesses gave the names of several people who were aboard the November 21, 2007 flight. Five (5) years later, all those names given by witnesses have been confirmed to have flown on that day, but the name Michel Martelly did not appear on the flight's manifest.

"The Senate office had formally asked American Airlines to send a list of all registered passengers on the flight of November 21, 2007. The airline had sent the list without the name of Michel Martelly," said Senator Joseph speaking to journalists.

But a Michael Martelly was on the list, said the former priest turned senator, who also revealed the president had spent some time incarcerated in Florida.

"The president was jailed in Florida, and studied at Red Rocks Community College. The commission may view the lists of the prison. It could also apply to the university, .... if they had an international student status or resident," for Martelly, suggested Senator Joseph, who urges a more robust investigation.

The term and the causes of the imprisonment was not specified by the Senator of the Artibonite.

Senator Joseph estimates that senators who want to undertake an objective and credible investigation, do not have the capacity to do so, and senators with the capacity to undertake the investigation, are not willing to do so.

"Martelly," confirmed Senator Edwin Zenny (Sud-Est/Independent), had a residence card (green card) while in the United States, of which he gave up several years ago."

Zenny was not able to specify the year President Martelly returned his residence card to U.S. immigration.

"Certainly," said Edwin Zenny, "50% of the deputies and senators have a residence card for the United States, the Dominican Republic, or in Europe."

It should be added, that the usual case of returning a green card would be when one is downgraded to a visa, deported, or having obtained citizenship.

An Obstacle to Ratifying Prime Minister-designate Lamothe

"It's better today to clarify the issue of nationality before taking up the ratification process of choosing a prime minister," said Senator Francois Anick Joseph. "As a guarantor of the functioning of institutions," said the parliamentarian, "the president must address this issue."

"By refusing to submit his travel history to the special inquiry committee, the president shows that he does not recognize the authority of the Senate. So he can not ask the same institution to ratify his Prime Minister," said Joseph, also a member of the Organization of the People's Struggle (OPL) political party.

Senate President, Simon Dieuseul Desras (Centre/Lavni), confirmed that Martelly had made the choice of Foreign Affairs Minister, Laurent Lamothe, to succeed outgoing Prime Minister, Garry Conille.

"The head of state announced the selection of Lamothe during consultations earlier today with the presidents of both Houses of Parliament. The consultations lasted thirty-eight minutes", noted Senator Desras.

"I am not able to secure the ratification of the selection of Mr. Lamothe to the President of the Republic," warned Desras.

"When I asked the president if he is sure of his designated prime minister's documents, and that they meet the constitutional requirements, he said that he had worked so that everything is correct", said the president of the Senate.