Per Lucien Jura, the spokesperson for the Office of the President, President Martelly will publish this month in the Moniteur, the country’s official newspaper, the highly contested and controversial amended version of the 1987 Constitution.
Public opinion is split on whether the president should publish it or not. As it can be noticed, I refrain from positioning myself on that simply because I am clueless in terms of its content. I hope the president is well advised and, if he decides to publish it, knows exactly what he is getting himself into.
The question I and others are asking ourselves is, why is it that a document of such magnitude and importance is not being made available to the public online and other venues for everyone to access it and have a political position on it in terms of its publication? By not doing so, the president and his close and trusted advisers are giving the impression that there are things in there they are hiding and do not want the general public to know about. They need to keep in mind that in politics, impression or perception is reality. So they do need to be very careful in their approach.
Because I refuse to extrapolate or do the Haitian “voye monte,” I choose not to have a political position in terms of whether the amended version of the 1987 Constitution should be published or not as the President is poised to do some time this month. Also, because it has been kept with such a top secrecy, my instinct tells me there are things in there the authorities do not wish to be known by the general public. So for those two reasons, I do not back up the idea of publishing it without it being placed under the microscopic lens of the people. If in spite of all the opposing counsels from high profile and respected constitutional analysts in the caliber of Gerard Gourgue, Georges Michel and others, President Martelly decides to publish the document, whether the consequences of such action are politically positive or negative for his presidency and the country as a whole, he must keep in mind that he will be held accountable.
Well said Emann! I agree!
I was against publication. I am like you, I do not know to much about that subject . I read yesterday, that the President requested a letter. from Mr. Levaillant Louis Jeune President of the “law Chamber, one from the President of the High Chamber Mr. Desras Simon Dieuseul and even one from the President of the Cour de Cassation and in the letters they will have to ask him to publish the amended Constitution. Apparently it is a sine qua none condition to publish it. The President is trying like wise to involve les three Pouvoirs.
The constitution’s contents impact all Haitians and all versions should be available to any and everyone, but I do agree with Emann (can’t believe it but we agree lol) that perception is reality and that the present government needs to be able to explain and back up all its decisions regarding the matter.