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Three political events took place on May
14, 2012: Haiti’s Chamber of Deputies ratified
the policy statement of Prime
Minister-designate Laurent Lamothe; Haiti’s 49th
Legislature closed its first ordinary session; and President
Joseph Michel Martelly marked his first anniversary at Haiti’s
helm.
In the Chamber of Deputies,
Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe presented a giant cabinet
composed of 22 ministers. After presenting the list of
ministers, deputies began taking turns speaking and asking
Lamothe questions. But to avoid ending too late, President of
the Lower House Levaillant Louis-Jeune called for a vote, even
though many deputies had not yet been able to speak. Louis-Jeune
said another session with the Prime Minister would be arranged.
Amidst charges of flagrant vote
buying, deputies had accepted Lamothe’s technical qualifications
to be Prime Minister on May 3 in a vote of 62 for, three
against, and two abstentions. In the May 14 vote on Lamothe’s
policy statement, 70 deputies voted in favor, six against, and
three abstained out of the 79 deputies attending the session.
The vote came after a sudden cut-off of electricity in the room.
Here is the composition of the
new cabinet:
Minister of Social Affairs and Labor:
Ronsard St. Cyr
Minister of Agriculture Natural
Resources and Rural Development: Thomas Jacques
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cults:
Laurent Lamothe
Minister delegated by the Prime Minister
as responsible for relations with the Parliament: Ralph
Théano
Minister delegated by the Prime Minister
for Human Right and the Fight Against Extreme Poverty: Marie
Carmelle Rose-Anne Auguste
Minister for Women's Affairs and Women's
Rights: Yanick Mézil
Minister of Culture: Jean Mario
Dupuy
Communications Minister: Ady Jean
Gardy
Minister of Education and Training:
Reginald Paul
Minister of Economy and Finance:
Marie Carmelle Jean-Marie
Minister of the Interior and Local
Authorities: Thierry Mayard-Paul
Minister of Justice and Public Security:
Jean Renel Sanon
Minister of Public Health and
Population: Florence Guillaume Duperval
Minister of Tourism: Stephanie
Balmir Villedrouin
Minister of Public Works, Transport,
Energy and Communications: Jacques Rousseau
Minister of Planning and External
Cooperation: Josepha Raymond
Defense Minister: Jean Rodolphe
Joazile
Minister of Trade and Industry:
Wilson Laleau
Minister of Youth, Sports and Civic
Action: Jean Roosevelt René
Environment Minister: Joseph Ronald
Toussaint
Minister of Haitians Living Abroad:
Daniel Supplice
Minister delegated by the Prime Minister
in charge of promoting the peasantry: Marie Mimose Félix
Before Lamothe presented his
policy statement, the Deputies approved by 39 votes to 1 vote
against and 13 abstentions the report of the Special Commission
to investigate the irregularities that marred the elections of
November 2010 and April 2011 in four districts. The Commission’s
report finally recognized the victory of four deputies: Amos
Durboirant [Belladère] Jean Bertold Bastien [Carice / Monbien
Crochu]; Patrick Domond [Jacmel] and Jean Rigaud Bélisaire [Abricot
/Bonbon]. They will sit in the lower house at the start of the
legislative year’s second session beginning Mon, Jun. 11, 2012.
On May 14, President Martelly
attended two ceremonies, one on the Champ de Mars and the other
at the Gymnasium Vincent. Meanwhile, Haiti’s deputies and
senators jointly met as the National Assembly to close the
year’s first legislative session.
Laurent Lamothe and his ministers will be
sworn in on May 16, 2012. |
