Haiti: Opposition Senators To Demand Martelly Resignation if Legislative Elections not held this year

Haitian President Michel Martelly. PHOTO/File

The Haitian senate entered another wave of debates this week as the legislative body faces dissolution due to President Michel Martelly’s failure to call general elections, which prompted the legislators to announce on Thursday that they would meet with the head of state to press for elections before the year ends.

The Martelly administration said the opposition senators are responsible for the government’s failure to hold elections on October 26 after striking down “Inter-Haitian Agreement of El Rancho” earlier this year. Four of the six opposition senators, Jean-Baptiste Bien-Aime, Francky Exius, Westner Polycarpe and Jean William Jeanty, participated in a private meeting this week in order to establish a strategy and conditions to speak directly with Martelly.

Martelly insists that the Haitian senate approved El Rancho Accord. Opposition parties opposed the deal insisting that the agreements have no political foundation in Haitian law and gives Martelly’s political alliances too much power in the upcoming elections.

The El Rancho Accord recognizes and positions the Transitional College of the Permanent Electoral Council (CTCEP) as the Electoral Council that would oversee the elections. Martelly created the body in 2013 and appointed most of its officials. The Senate called for Martelly to create a new Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) within the parameters of Article 289 of the Haitian Constitution. The clause requires nine representatives from diverse sectors of Haitian civil society.

The Haitian senate risks becoming non-functional by January 2015. Constitutional Article 136 would allow Martelly to govern by decree until the installation of the next parliament. However, earlier this year, senator Desras said that the Senate will “have no alternative but to demand Martelly’s resignation” if he fails to hold legislative elections by the end of the year.

On Friday, Minister of Communication Rudy Heriveaux said that the government plans to move forward with elections by the end of the year. However, Heriveaux did not announce a specific date.