ARTICLE - U.S. AMB. CAN'T CLOSE INVESTIGATION

HOUSE PRESIDENT SAYS U.S. AMBASSADOR CAN NOT CLOSE CONGRESSIONAL INVESTIGATION
(Defend Haiti) -

PORT-AU-PRINCE - The President of the Chamber, the Honorable Levaillant Louis-Jeune (Desdunes/Inite) voted Monday to further the investigation on the nationality of the Head of State by a committee of the Senate, arguing that a statement by the U.S. Ambassador in Haiti can not stop an investigation by Haitian Parliamentarians.

Deputy Louis-Jeune, also Coordinator of the majority Inite Political Platform was responding to a declaration made by the Minister-resigned on Relations Between the Executive and Parliament, Ralph Theano, who said that after the U.S. Ambassador Kenneth Merten's declaration on Thursday March 8 at the National Palace, the investigation into the nationality of the Head of State should be closed.

Deputy Louis-Jeune digressed to say that an ambassador can not close a congressional investigation. The President of the Chamber of Deputies did say that he would like the case to be closed, but closed well:

"This is what Mr. Ralph Theano would like, and us too. As officials of the country this is what we would also like: that the case would be closed quickly, but it must be well closed. An American Ambassador cannot close a case for the Haitian Parliament."

"Speaking to the president or to the president's team, they may have it in their understanding that the case is closed, but for the parliament, I would like all to know, that the parliament is an assembly."

"It is woeful for one person to say they have control over a parliamentary assembly, no matter who the person is, and even less for a foreign ambassador.""

"If there is a space in the country where opposing debates are held truly in a manner of democracy, it is in the Haitian Parliament."

"So we, we will do our work as parliamentarians..."

"Senators should continue to work to shed light on this matter," said MP Levaillant, who believes that there is sufficient evidence to warrant further investigation.

A preliminary report from the Senate Committee investigating Nationalities of members of the government was released last week, after a brief submission of President Michel Martelly's travel documents, in the form of 8 passports.

Numerous errors and calls of fraud within the documents were made, prompting the senate commission to further their analysis.

"It should be understood that if the president has a foreign nationality, he must resign as required by the constitution," said Louis-Jeune, Coordinator of Inite.

Insecurity Due to Conflict between Government Powers

Deputy Louis-Jeune said he and the Chamber of Deputies have confidence in the work of Haitian police but bad signals are sent to the population when government powers can not respect one another.

Bandits have taken advantage of the political climate to terrorize the population with violence and other major crimes.