- Tuesday, 19 June 2012 12:43
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (defend.ht) – The President of the Republic, Joseph Michel Martelly, in a ceremony at the National Palace on Tuesday, June 19th, 2012 annulled his presidential decree of June 3rd, 2011 and sent instructions to the National Press to publish the Constitution of Haiti as amended on May 9, 2011.
Leaders of the other two branches of government, the Presidents of the Legislative power, Simon Dieusel Desras and Levaillant Louis-Jeune, and the President of the Judicial power, Anel Alexis Joseph, were present at the National Palace to support the motion by President Martelly.
President Martelly delivered a speech saying that problems encountered which forced the June 3rd, 2011 presidential decree to hold, in essence, the effect of the constitution were clerical errors within the text.
“Yes. Today is an important day. Because just as we have heard all the discussions that have gone on, the three powers of the state are in agreement to reproduce the text of the amendments.”
“Finally, Haiti will have a Permanent CEP (electoral council). Because we are tired of the Provisional CEP that holds corrupt elections.”
“We can now also have a Constitutional Council that will analyze the laws to ensure that they do not contradict the fundamental charter of the nation.”
“Since 1987, we were supposed to establish the Superior Council of the Judicial Power (CSPJ) so that we can give the judicial power its true rights, the same as the other two powers of the state.”
“You remember when I was just inaugurated, I appointed the President of the Court of Appeals and all the other judges that had not been appointed for more than 7 years. Today, the judicial power will be independent.”
“And women will be integrated into the government at least 33%. Which means, for every ten people appointed to the state, 3 of them should be women. And we know how brave our women are and how they know how to work.”
“That is why today, the Mayor of Port-au-Prince is a woman. The Director of the CEP that I nominated yesterday, is a woman. Our Minister of Finance is a woman. The Minister on the Condition of Woman is a woman. The Minister of Health is a woman. The Minister of Tourism is a woman. The Minister of Planning is a woman. The Minister of Human Rights to Combat Extreme Poverty is a woman. The Minister to Promote Agriculture is a woman. The Chief of Staff for the President is a woman. The First Lady is a woman (joking).”
“And also, the issue of dual-nationality that has been creating division in the diaspora and people over here has been handled. There is no prejudice anymore, all Haitians are Haitians…”
The President said a series of meetings were held throughout the past year to ensure that the document that will be printed on June 19, 2012 is authentic and in accordance to what was voted by the Members of Parliament who resolved to amend the Constitution of Haiti at the end of a two-year process in May 2011.
National Palace Press Secretary, Lucien Jura, said that along with the authentic Constitution of Haiti, the erroneous document, its corrections and correspondence between the offices of Parliament and the National Palace will be published in the nation’s official journal, Le Moniteur, for reference.