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Haiti: Political drama as parliament is dissolved – no agreement on legislative elections
Haiti’s parliament was dissolved, Tuesday, after the failure of last-ditch negotiations for a deal to extend the terms of its members to avert a political crisis in the Caribbean country.
Haiti has not held legislative or municipal elections for 3 years, and the lack of a working parliament effectively leaves President Michel Martelly to rule by decree.
Martelly launched last-minute negotiations, but failed to convince a group of opposition senators to approve a plan to extend parliamentary terms for several months until new elections can be held.
On Tuesday, “implementing partners” working closely with Haiti, issued a statement saying it “deplores the fact that the Haitian parliament has become dysfunctional,” while offering its support for Martelly.
According to a statement from the “implementing partners”, in these exceptional circumstances, the ‘implementing partners’ trust that the Executive and all the political actors will act with responsibility and restraint.
Martelly, whose term in office runs out next year, last month tried to calm opposition critics by appointing former Port-au-Prince Mayor Evans Paul as the new prime minister, but the parliament shunned his pick and refused to ratify him.
“I was expecting to be invited by the parliament. It did not happen, but it is not me who refused to introduce myself,” Paul said in an interview. Now as de facto prime minister, he said he still planned to try to form a new government.
“I have started consultations with political parties to compose my government, but the consensus is not easy to get,” he said.
