Politics of Haiti 13377 224840677 2008-07-10T17:30:56Z Mattisse 1386816 /* Political background */ add title to reference {{Refimprove|date=July 2008}} {{Politics of Haiti}} '''Politics of Haiti''' takes place in a framework of a [[presidential system|presidential]] [[republic]], pluriform multiparty system whereby the [[President of Haiti]] is [[head of state]] directly elected by popular vote. The Prime Minister acts as [[head of government]], and is appointed by the President from the majority party in the National Assembly. [[Executive power]] is exercised by the President and Prime Minister who together constitute the government. [[Legislative power]] is vested in both the [[government]] and the two chambers of the [[National Assembly of Haiti]]. The government is organized [[unitary state|unitarily]], thus the [[central government]] ''delegates'' powers to the departments without a constitutional need for consent. The current structure of Haiti's political system was set forth in the [[Constitution of Haiti|Constitution of March 29, 1987]]. ==Political background== [[Haiti]] is officially a [[President|presidential]] [[republic]], although it is often claimed to be [[authoritarian]] in practice. [[Suffrage]] is [[Universal suffrage|universal]], for adults over 18. The [[Constitution of Haiti|constitution]] was modeled after those of the [[United States]] and of [[France]]. It was approved in March [[1987]], but it was completely suspended from June [[1988]] to March [[1989]] and was only fully reinstated in October [[1994]]. On [[February 29]], [[2004]], a [[2004 Haiti rebellion|rebellion]] culminated in a [[coup d'etat|coup]] against the popularly elected president, [[Jean-Bertrand Aristide]], allegedly with the assistance of the French and United States governments; U.S. and French soldiers were on the ground in Haiti at the time, recently arrived ([[2004_Haitian_rebellion#Controversy_regarding_US_involvement|See controversy]]).[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4416174/] The first elections since the overthrow were held on [[Haitian elections, 2006|February 8, 2006]] to elect a new [[President]]. Rene Preval was declared to have won with over 50 percent of the vote. Runoff elections for legislative seats were held on April 21. In 2008, Parliament voted to dismiss President Preval's Prime Minister following severe rioting over food prices.<ref> {{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7344729.stm |title=BBC NEWS Haitian senators vote to fire PM |publisher=news.bbc.co.uk |accessdate=2008-07-10 |last= |first= }} </ref> His selected replacement for the post was rejected by Parliament, throwing the country into a prolonged period without a government.<ref> {{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7397541.stm |title=BBC NEWS Haiti MPs reject new PM candidate |publisher=news.bbc.co.uk |accessdate=2008-07-10 }} </ref> Haiti is undergoing a major food crisis as prices for food escalate.<ref> {{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/ukfs_news/hi/newsid_7370000/newsid_7377100/7377140.stm |title=BBC NEWS Haiti facing 'major food crisis' |publisher=news.bbc.co.uk |accessdate=2008-07-10 }} </ref> === Corruption === [[Political corruption]] is a common problem in [[Haiti]]. The country has consistently ranked as one of the most corrupt nations according to the [[Corruption Perceptions Index]], a measure of perceived political corruption. In 2006, Haiti was ranked as the most corrupt nation out of the 163 that were surveyed for the Index.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.transparency.org/news_room/latest_news/press_releases/2006/en_2006_11_06_cpi_2006 |title=2006 Corruption Perceptions Index reinforces link between poverty and corruption |publisher=Transparency International |date=2006-11-06 |accessdate=2006-11-06}} </ref> The International Red Cross reported that Haiti was 155th out of 159 countries in a similar survey of corrupt countries.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.redcross.int/EN/mag/magazine2006_2/10-11.html |title= Hoping for change in Haiti’s Cité-Soleil |publisher=International Red Cross |accessdate=2007-08-16 }} </ref> == Branches of government == ===Executive branch=== [[Image:Palacio presidencial de Haiti.jpg|thumb|250px|Presidential Palace in [[Port-au-Prince]]]] {{office-table}} |[[President of Haiti|President]] |[[René Préval]] |[[Lespwa]] |[[14 May]] [[2006]] |- |[[List of Prime Ministers of Haiti|Prime Minister]] |[[none]] |[[-]] |[[-]] [[-]] |} Haiti's executive branch is composed of two parts, the presidency and the government. In this sense, "government" refers specifically to the portion of the executive branch outside of the presidency, and not to Haiti's political system as a whole. ==== President ==== {{main|President of Haiti}} The president is the [[head of state]] and elected by [[popular vote]] every five years. He is assisted by his cabinet, which must be approved by the National Assembly. [[Jean-Bertrand Aristide]] had been in office since [[February 7]], [[2001]], having received 92% of votes in the elections of [[2000]]. On [[February 29]], [[2004]], President Aristide reportedly "voluntarily relinquished" the presidency. However, Aristide claims he was pressured to accept the demands of the rebels by the [[United States]] and [[France]]. Alternatively, President Aristide claims that he was kidnapped. Following Aristide's departure, [[Boniface Alexandre]] became the de-facto interim president. Alexandre, as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, was in line to succeed the President in case of death or resignation, according to the 1987 [[Constitution of Haiti]]. The current president is [[René Préval]], who received 51 percent of the votes in the [[2005 Haitian Elections|2005 elections]]. :''(see also: [[2004 Haiti Rebellion]], [[List of heads of state of Haiti]])'' ==== Government ==== Haiti's government is composed of the Prime Minister, the other Ministers, and the Secretaries of State. The prime minister, the [[head of government]], is appointed by the president and ratified by the National Assembly. He appoints the Ministers and Secretaries of State and goes before the National Assembly to obtain a vote of confidence for his declaration of general policy. The Prime Minister enforces the laws and, along with the President, is responsible for national defense. [[Yvon Neptune]] was appointed Prime Minister on [[March 4]], [[2002]], but following the overthrow of the government in February 2004, he was replaced by an interim Prime Minister, [[Gérard Latortue]]. The constitutional Prime Minister, [[Yvon Neptune]] languished in jail for over a year, accused of complicity in an alleged massacre in [[Saint-Marc]]. [[United Nations]] officials, expressing scepticism towards the evidence, called for either due process or his release. Having entered custody in June 2004, Neptune was formally charged on [[September 20]] [[2005]], but was never sent to trial. He was finally released on [[28 July]] [[2006]]. The last Prime Minister, [[Jacques-Edouard Alexis]], entered office in 2006 and was removed in April 2008. The [[Ministry (government department)|ministries]] of the Haitian government are:<ref name=Schutt35>P. Schutt-Ainé, ''Haiti: A Basic Reference Book'', 166</ref> * [[Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development]] * [[Ministry of Commerce and Industry]] * [[Ministry of Finance and Economy]] * [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cults]] * [[Ministry of Information and Coordination]] * [[Ministry of Interior and National Defense]] * [[Ministry of Justice]] * [[Ministry of National Education, Youth and Sports]] * [[Ministry of Planning and Foreign Aid]] * [[Ministry of Public Health and Population]] * [[Ministry of Public Works, Transportation and Communications]] * [[Ministry of Social Affairs]] ===Legislative branch=== The bicameral '''[[National Assembly of Haiti]]''' (Assemblée Nationale) consists of the Chamber of Deputies (Chambre des Députés) and the Senate (Sénat). The '''[[Chamber of Deputies of Haiti]]''' has eighty three members, who are elected for four-year terms. The '''[[Senate of Haiti]]''' consists of twenty seven seats, one third elected every two years. In the popular elections of 2000, twenty six seats were won by Aristide's Lavalas Family Party. ===Judicial branch=== The legal system is based on the [[Rome|Roman]] civil law system. Haiti accepts compulsory [[jurisdiction]] of the [[International Court of Justice]]. There is a [[Supreme Court]] (Cour de Cassation), assisted by local and civil courts at a communal level. ==Administrative divisions== Haiti has ten departments (''départements''): [[Artibonite Department|Artibonite]], [[Centre Department|Centre]], [[Grand'Anse Department|Grand'Anse]], [[Nippes Department|Nippes]], [[Nord Department|Nord]], [[Nord-Est Department|Nord-Est]], [[Nord-Ouest Department|Nord-Ouest]], [[Ouest Department|Ouest]], [[Sud Department|Sud]], and [[Sud-Est Department|Sud-Est]]. Each department is divided into from three to seven [[arrondissement]]s, and arrondissements are further divided into communes. ==Political parties and elections== {{main |List of political parties in Haiti |Elections in Haiti}} {{Haitian presidential election, 2006}} {{Haitian senate election, 2006}} {{Haitian deputies election, 2006}} ==International organization participation== [[Agence de Coopération Culturelle et Technique|ACCT]], [[ACP countries|ACP]], [[Caribbean Community|Caricom]] (suspended member), [[CCC]], [[United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean|ECLAC]], [[Food and Agriculture Organization|FAO]], [[Group of 77|G-77]], [[IADB]], [[International Atomic Energy Agency|IAEA]], [[International Bank for Reconstruction and Development|IBRD]], [[International Civil Aviation Organization|ICAO]], [[ICRM]], [[IDA]], [[International Fund for Agricultural Development|IFAD]], [[International Finance Corporation|IFC]], [[International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement|IFRCS]], [[International Labour Organization|ILO]], [[International Monetary Fund|IMF]], [[International Maritime Organization|IMO]], [[Intelsat]], [[Interpol]], [[IOC]], [[International Organization for Migration|IOM]], [[ITU]], [[Latin American Economic System|LAES]], [[OAS]], [[OPANAL]], [[Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons|OPCW]], [[PCA]], [[United Nations|UN]], [[United Nations Conference on Trade and Development|UNCTAD]], [[UNESCO]], [[United Nations Industrial Development Organization|UNIDO]], [[World Tourism Organization|UNWTO]], [[Universal Postal Union|UPU]], [[WCL]], [[World Federation of Trade Unions|WFTU]], [[World Health Organization|WHO]], [[World Intellectual Property Organization|WIPO]], [[World Meteorological Organization|WMO]], [[World Trade Organization|WTrO]] == Notes == {{reflist}} == References == * {{cite book | last = Schutt-Ainé | first = Patricia | coauthors = Staff of Librairie Au Service de la Culture | title = Haiti: A Basic Reference Book | publisher = Librairie Au Service de la Culture | date = 1994 | location = Miami, Florida | pages = pp. 165-167 | id = ISBN 0-9638599-0-0 }} ==External links== * [http://www.usip.org/pubs/usipeace_briefings/2006/0509_haiti_government.html Haiti's New Government Faces Historic Dilemmas] [[U.S. Institute of Peace]] Briefing, May 2006 * [http://www.mieeh-immhe.ca/interim_e.asp International Mission for Monitoring Haitian Elections] [[Category:Politics of Haiti| ]] [[el:Πολιτική και εκλογές στην Αϊτή]] [[fr:Politique d'Haïti]] [[pt:Política do Haiti]] [[ru:Государственное устройство Гаити]]