Even though some brainless voters, ignoring the weight of their statements, upset with traditional politicians, have opted to elect what they called a “legal bandit“ into the presidency, many citizens who favored placing Joseph Michel Martelly at the National Palace, have already regretted making that decision. In less than two years in office, the man who took the oath in the name of change reveals himself to all the points of view to be the reverse of change. The eighteen months of the Sweet Mickey administration are filled with events, decisions and behaviors deemed contrary to the responsibilities of a Head of State. But his last act truly reveals what he is and what he is not. The absence of the Haitian president from the country — along with his Prime Minister — on the occasion of the commemoration of the Battle of Vertières, which earned the Haitians their freedom and gave birth to the nation clearly shows that Michael has no intention of being a full-time president and a real administrator of the country at a time when the nation is facing the most serious crises in its history, and is in dire need of its leaders on a regular basis.

His absence from the commemoration of the Battle of Vertières not  withstanding, and instead choosing to be on the continent where the power and its allies are located that symbolizes the oppression of our ancestors in the repression against the slaves, is the greatest contempt displayed against the memory of the heroes who shed their blood to give us our independence; Mr. Martelly’s unexpected visit to Europe on this date will somewhat diminish the admiration and respect the peoples of the world hold for Haiti.

For the first time in 209 years, the Head of State stood being replaced at the commemorating ceremonies on that date, not because of illness or some other disability, but because the tenant of the National Palace feels better about himself with his “partner of the old Continent,”forced by “business diplomacy.” Then in complete disregard for the nation, the two heads of the Executive decided to leave the country at the same time, having other fish to fry in Florida and Europe.

The team currently in power, which claims to bring the country’s administration to the cutting edge of technology, believes it’s able to handle its responsibilities by remote control. For since the arrival of Martelly to the National Palace, he and his advisers have not ceased extolling the virtues of modernity in the form of excessive use of the virtual world. It’s a good thing to put the country in tune with the rest of the world by fully exploiting the opportunities offered by the world of information technology. But it’s quite another to establish a virtual administration imposed without preconditions.

Indeed, in the name of modernity à la Laurent Lamothe, Michel Martelly thinks he doesn’t need to be present in person to commemorate the Battle of Vertières. Thanks to the wonder of videoconferencing, he imagines he can present him self to the Haitian people through the first lady, Sophia Saint-Rémy Martelly, and Finance Minister Marie-Carmelle Jean-Marie, who has been acting as Prime minister in the absence of Laurent Lamoth; together they have physically both replaced Mr. Martelly. The two women presided over a floral offering ceremony in memory of the Fathers of National In dependence. This observance, held at the Museum of Haitian National Pantheon (MUNAPAH), was attended by several government officials. This is well within the framework of the program initiated by Laurent Lamothe calling for the meeting of the Council of Ministers to be held by rotation in provincial cities. It’s in the same spirit that President Martelly had led, by videoconference, the Council of Ministers which recently took place in Cap-Haitien, while he was at the meeting of CARICOM in St. Lucia. We invite Haitian citizens, wherever they may be, in the homeland or in the Diaspora, to meditate on these words extracted from the speech broadcast by the office of the Presidency on behalf of the President Martelly, who finds himself out of the country on that memorable day:

“To describe this glorious day in class, we recite: ‘Vertières, o magnificent victory; brings the triumph of the Blacks; the death of slavery.’

“These paraphrases rang as a bugle. They galvanize young souls swelling with civic pride. Their musicality moved the spirit of enthusiasts who declaimed them, and listened to them. And all little Haitian schoolchildren felt being like François Capois nicknamed Death emerging from his horse shot by a bullet to shout: ‘Forward, forward.’ “Two hundred and nine years after the dawn of new era, what have we done with this sublime investment our Founding Fathers placed in us? our heads hanging down, our eyes full of shame, we are forced to admit that we have tarnished the legacy that was given to us. The bugles are silent. The bells no longer ring, but they toll the death knell for pound; the death of our disappointed hopes; the death of our debased pride; the death of the personality of people led astray.

“Hopefully we can count on
our commitment today to stop it
all!“it must be in the skies of Haiti, jingle again the bells of victory. “You want it so intensely, Haitian people, that you have joined my message of national recovery and chose me to lead your destiny. “You have given me supreme power in order to mark the divorce of the national community from resignations, from a sinking into the mire of short-sighted interests.”

The entire speech of President Martelly, released November 18, 2012, constitutes a felony of the Head of State, a breach of trust and a challenge to the Haitian people, who must provide the means to deal with this latest crisis caused unilaterally by the Haitian president supported by men and women helping him run the country. Without a doubt, a majority of Haitians, in a context of confusion, has made possible the election of Michel Martelly to the presidency. In light of this affront to the country, he must be held accountable to his fellow citizens, because Haiti doesn’t need a virtual Head of State, moreover who has gone AWOL.

EDITORIAL

Haïti-observateur 21-28 novembre, 2012