Category Politics

If it is about politics, find it here.

Dec 16 2013

Lavalas: Rache Manyòk Pimal Pase Kolera

Lavalasyen frè ak sè mwen yo sipoze sispann pèdi tan yo nan yon mouvman rache manyòk ki pa p abwouti a anyen, e yo konnen sa pibyen pase m paske reyalite jeopolitik nan mond la pa p pèmèt sa fèt. Alòs, olye ke yo chita ap envesti tout tan ak enèji yo nan yon mouvman ke pèson moun pa ka wè ki kote yo pral avèk li, m panse li t ap fè plis sans pou yo ta fikse zye yo sou 2016 –ki, dayè, pa twò lwen –pou yo komanse ap prepare yo pou yo pran pouvwa a.

M pa p ba nou manti… bagay rache manyòk yo a ap fè anpil moun kanpe lwen yo, espesyalman lè yo pa gen okenn altènatif a Prezidan Martelly. Yo pa janm kapab di kisa k ap vini aprè rache manyòk yo a –pou evite peyi a tonbe nan yon tchouboum ki san fen.

Mouvman rache manyòk la, ke moun Lavalas yo lanse andedan peyi a, bagay sa a pimal pase kolera ki t ap touye pitit pèp la nan kat kwen peyi a tèlman li pa bon. Li se yon manjezon ki vin pou detwi nou. Alòs fòk se enbesil sèlman pou noumenm –ki gen yon sèvo pou nou reflechi –ta enbesil pou nou ta monte nan batiman rache manyòk yo a avèk yo. Si yo vle ale nwaye tèt yo sou dlo a, sa a se zafè k gade yo. Men yo pa p jwenn moun tankou m ki pou swiv yo.

Moman an rive pou nou mete emosyon nou akote, pou nou itlize sèvo nou pou nou fè bagay yo yon lòt jan. Ou pa pran desizyon [sitou desizyon ki gen a wè ak peyi] nan emosyon ak voye monte. Dosye sa a twò serye pou nou antre nan kalonnen, voye monte avek li.

Prezidan Martelly ap fè 5 lane li a san manke yon yota. Aprè sa, l ap òganize eleksyon pou nou asire kontinwite demokratik la kòmsadwa.

Prezidan Martelly gentan antre nan dezyèm pati manda li a. Li pa rete anpil tan pou li fini epi pou nou antre nan eleksyon. Avan nou bat je nou, l ap gentan lè pou nou kòmanse ap chofe nou ak soulye foutbòl nou nan pye nou, abiman nou sou nou pou nou ale monte teren eleksyon an pou n al chwazi pwochen prezidan an ki pral pran mayèt la nan men Prezidan Martelly a.

Lavalasyen frè ak sè mwen yo sipoze ap travay kounyè a nan mete bon estrikti nan pati yo a, devlope estrateji pou yo kapab rale moun sou yo. Si yo pa fè travay preparasyon sa yo kounyè a la, olye yo chita ap gaspiye tan nan rache manyòk, kilè y ap kòmanse fè l? Y ap tann se lè eleksyon pral fèt pou yo fè l? Lè sa a, l ap twò ta. Si ou bezwen pran pouvwa a tout bon vre nan eleksyon [aprè Prezidan Martelly], se depi kounyè a wi pou w mete w sou travay.

Eleksyon prezidansyèl 2016 la sipoze enteresan, istorik ak san konparezon nan eksperyans demokratik nou antanke yon nasyon. Nan espri sa a, nou fèt pou nou ankouraje meyè nan jèn politisyen nou yo pou yo antre fon nan batay la pou yo kouri pou prezidan. Sa ap pèmèt nou bay deba politik ki gen pou fèt yo nan sosyete a bon jan jarèt, e se sa a tou k ap pèmèt noumenm antanke sitwayen avize pou nou kapab fè yon chwa ki eklere pami jèn kandida sa yo ki gen pou kouri pou chèz boure a. Nou sipoze chwazi pami jèn politisyen sa yo kandida ki pi kapab la e ki montre nou ke [de pa kalifikasyon e eksperyans li] li kapab kontinye kondi peyi a sou wout devlopman an.

Ala bèl sa ta bèl pou n ta gen sou tab jwèt la kandida tankou Laurent Lamothe, Dr. Garry Conille, Edmonde Supplice, elatriye pou nou chwazi pami yo moun ki gen pou ranplase Prezidan Martelly a –aprè manda li a fini an.

Se pou nou sispann antre tèt nou nan lojik fè politik demagojik nèg yo toujou renmen fè a –pou nou serye avèk pèp la. Nou sipoze angaje nou nan antame bon deba politik ki fè sans –kote n ap ekspoze pwoblèm yo, n ap debat altènatif yo epi n ap chwazi ki altènatif k ap pibon pou peyi a.

Popilism se yon bagay ki trè danjere pou peyi a; se yon manjezon sa ye paske li toufe tout posiblite pou bon deba serye pran jarèt nan sosyete a. E depi nou pa ka byen debat pwoblèm yo kòmsadwa, n ap pran vye desizyon tèt chat k ap mete nou nan kouri pita.

Sa k bay demokrasi jarèt se posiblite ke tout moun alawonnnbadè nan sosyete a genyen pou yo ekspoze pwoblèm yo k ap brase bil sosyete a, pale de yo, analize yo, trete yo epi vin ak solisyon pou nou rezoud yo. Se konsa sa fèt isit Ozetazini ak tout lòt peyi nan mond la kote demokrasi ap byen mache e byen fonksyone.

Dec 9 2013

The Way To Beat Lavalas In The Next Elections

elections-haiti

Lavalas knows very well that “rache manyòk” is not feasible, so their mobilization on the streets is nothing but a part of their campaign strategy to imposingly win the next elections.

They were very dormant for the past two years, so they had got to find a way to wake up their troops and get them on their feet once and for all.

The Tèt Kale camp needs to take this wave of sporadic protests very seriously. They must not play the game of their opponent. Otherwise, they will know an embarrassing defeat.

The Tèt Kale Political Action Committees (PACs) must not let their camp lose the political edge to the Lavalas sector -if they want to outperform them (the Lavalas sector) in the next elections. Be mindful of the fact that the main purpose behind all these protests is to win the political edge.

By definition, a Political Action Committee (PAC) is a type of organization that gathers campaign money from members and donates those funds for the purpose of influencing an election. It may engage in unlimited political spending independently of the campaign to campaign for or against candidates, ballot initiatives, or legislation.

How to prevent Lavalas?

Effective political campaigns cannot be possibly run without money. So you need money to effectively campaign against your opponents. The game has long changed.

If the Tèt Kale PACs want to capitalize on the next elections, among many things they need to do, they need to wage an aggressive and brutal media war against Lavalas.

The Tèt Kale PACs, with small 30- to 60-second political spots (audio and video), need to hit the mainstream radio and TV stations in Haiti and the Diaspora and all the social networking sites. The content of these spots is what will determine their effectiveness. So expert advice is highly warranted to put these spots together.

The purpose of these spots is to highlight the reasons (based on historical data) as to why Lavalas is bad for the country in this era of modernization and social and economic development and why their candidates represent what the country needs to keep moving forward.

Also, the Tèt Kale sector needs to select winnable candidates with a clean record to represent them in these elections. That means a vetting committee needs to be instituted to thoroughly examine the records of these potential candidates before they are selected.

Lavalas can be beaten easily. It will depend on the game plan of the Tèt Kale sector. As I often say, when the playing field is leveled for all the players, the team with the best strategy is the one poised to win the contest.

Nov 10 2013

Civic Education: A Must For A Better Haiti

Students at the Istitution Saint-Louis de Gonzague, on June 29, 2010, thousands of displaced earthquake victims are living on the school grounds while students continue to take classes in tents. Here elementary school students studying their vocabulary. Left to right are Elysee Pasquy Anderson, 10; Antoine Marco, 9; and Josiuf Dave, 9. AL DIAZ / THE MIAMI HERALD STAFF

Here elementary school students [at the Institution Saint-Louis de Gonzague] on June 29, 2010 studying their vocabulary. From left to right: Elysee Pasquy Anderson, 10; Antoine Marco, 9; and Josiuf Dave, 9. AL DIAZ / THE MIAMI HERALD STAFF

When I was at Cyr-Guillo [commonly called Ecole des Freres des Gonaives] for my primary, elementary and junior high school education, because the school knew they were preparing young kids to become responsible citizens of tomorrow, the curriculum was shaped to reflect that vision.

After spending 7 years in that institution, upon graduation to move on to high school,  we could proudly look at ourselves and say that we are prepared for life on every front because the foundation upon which the house of life is to be mounted or erected is strongly engineered.

In the curriculum, there was this course called Civic Education -a required core class we had to take for 2 years or so -conceived to teach us students how to love our country unconditionally, respect and love each other as brothers, be good law-abiding citizens by respecting established authority, the law of the land, etc.

I do strongly believe that Ecole des Freres des Gonaives was not the only institution in the country then to have instituted Civic Education in their curriculum; other schools had followed the same Education Department guidelines.

Unfortunately, at my great astonishment, some genius who took over the Education Ministry had removed Civic Education from the curriculum. I know you may be asking the same question everyone with some sense is asking: “why is that?” Well, that’s beyond my pray grade. I am just as dumbfounded as you are.

What a brilliant decision that was! No wonder we have today all this nonsense going on in our society.

Today, these young Haitian kids are growing up with no foundation in civic education. And we are acting so surprised to see the results of our recklessness and irresponsibility -delinquency, child prostitution, the zokiki phenomenon, disrespect for established authority and the law, the list goes on and on and on.

Why acting so surprised? We should have expected these results to emerge some day. That’s what happens when leaders fail their citizens -you have a chaotic and dysfunctional society because the young citizens have grown to become chaotic and dysfunctional citizens.

I heard a while ago that Mr. Varnneur Pierre, the head of our Education Ministry, was bringing back Civic Education in the classroom, I don’t know if he has ever delivered on his promise.  But I pray the Martelly administration could make a difference in the right. The teaching of civic education to our kids is a must. Making the right investment in the education of our kids of today is the only hope we have for a better, secure and sustainable tomorrow.

Oct 27 2012

Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson: “My Party Is Full Of Racists.”

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Retired Army Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson

General Colin Powell, one of the most respected public figures in America, one of the most revered Black men in the world, a longtime Republican, has again endorsed President Obama for his reelection; he wants him to continue with the work he has been doing to move the country forward.

For this endorsement, John Sununu, one of the top Romney surrogates, went ballistic. He said that General Powell’s endorsement of the president is racially motivated, which he understands as he (General Powell) and President Obama are both Black.

Retired Army Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson, General Powell’s Chief of Staff, a member of the Republican Party, has rejected Sununu’s statement on the endorsement of General Powell of President Obama and said what he thinks of the today’s Republican Party. On the Ed Show on MSNBC, he stated: “To say that Colin Powell would endorse President Obama because of his skin color is like saying that Mother Teresa worked for profit.”

Here is the part of Colonel Wilkerson’s statement which I think these Haitian Republicans need to pay attention to. With respect to the Republican Party, he said: “My party, unfortunately, is the bastion of those people (not all of them, but most of them) who are still basing their decisions on race. Let me just be candid: my party is full of racists. And the real reason a considerable portion of my party wants President Obama out of the White House has nothing to do with the content of his character, nothing to do with his competence as commander-in-chief and president and everything to do with the color of his skin, and that is despicable.”

Colonel Wilkerson’s statement has made my moment. That is why when I think of the Republican Party, I think of three things: whiteness, wealth and racism.

These lunatic fringe elements have long taken over the Republican Party, causing its decent members to either leave its ranks or turn independent. Today, the party of Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower and Ronald Reagan has become the Tea Party of Sarah Palin, Michele Bachmann, Mitt Romney, Rand Paul & Co.

Aug 14 2012

President Martelly: Great Leaders Are Great Listeners

President Martelly needs to exercise his sense of leadership by taking the high road of wisdom to spare the country an unneeded and unnecessary political crisis of no return.

As someone who has been an avid proponent of the institution of the Permanent Electoral Council, as stipulated in the Amended Constitution, and as a political realist, I don’t see how the political conjuncture [the Senate not being able to hold meetings for lack of quorum; the president of the Superior Council of the Judiciary (CSPJ), Anel Alexis Joseph, being accused of not following the right procedure to choose the institution’s 3 representatives to sit in the CEP, creating a tension and situation of revolt inside the institution] is going to allow such institution to be born without generating a crisis that may be too complex to resolve. So stopping it (the crisis) at its gestation stage is highly warranted.

I read Senator Steven Benoit’s letter to President Martelly with great attention (see letter below). For someone whom I barely agree with, this time around, I think he is on the side of logic, realism and wisdom. So I am urging the president to follow the sound advice of the senator. Everything in the letter makes perfect sense. He has said it all.

Where we are right now, what’s important is to organize credible elections, not the type of CEP (provisory or permanent) that is going to organize them. President Martelly should get everybody (the presidents of the Senate, Chamber of Deputies and CSPJ; the leaders of the political parties represented in the parliament; members of the civil society; etc…) together and extract a consensus that could result in the creation of a Provisory Electoral Council to organize the congressional, mayoral and CASEC elections. Once the effective in the Senate is complete, then we can proceed with the formation of the Permanent Electoral Council. If this is something all the vital forces in the country could agree with, the president should go with it. In politics, for the sake of appeasement, when in doubt, avoid taking the controversial or contentious route.
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Senator Steven Irvenson Benoit of the West District

Port-au-Prince, le 9 août 2012.

Son Excellence

Monsieur Michel Joseph MARTELLY

Président de la République

Palais National

 

Excellence,

Une fois de plus, j’ai l’honneur de m’adresser à vous en tant que responsable de la bonne marche des institutions républicaines de ce pays, et du bon déroulement de son processus démocratique. J’espère donc que vous recevrez cette correspondance dans un esprit d’ouverture pouvant faciliter un dialogue pacificateur et stabilisateur qui nous permettra de réussir la traversée de la conjoncture actuelle.

  Quelques antécédents

Permettez que je vous rappelle qu’en avril 1997, lors des élections devant justement permettre le renouvellement du tiers du Sénat, les résultats du 1er tour ont été contestés avec tant de virulence que les deux (2) Sénateurs élus n’ont jamais pu prêter serment. Quant au 2ème tour il n’eut jamais lieu. Résultats décriés, Conseil électoral provisoire décrié tout autant. 

En mai 2000, le pouvoir en place avait tenté de rafler tous les sièges du Parlement avec des résultats affichant 81 Députés en sa faveur, sur les 83 siégeant, et 18 de ses candidats élus Sénateurs sur 18 sièges en ballotage. Une fois de plus ces résultats furent contestés et il s’en suivit trois années de troubles politiques ininterrompus, jusqu’au départ forcé du Président élu.

Aujourd’hui nous voici face au défi de la formation d’un Conseil électoral qui donne lieu à une intense controverse et crée des frictions entre les trois pouvoirs. Si nous ne faisons pas très attention, ce Conseil électoral risque de ne jamais voir le jour et le pays pourrait retomber dans une crise politique.

En effet, au sein du CSPJ règne un conflit d’importance et le comportement du Président de cette institution en qui la nation est censé placer son ultime confiance est peu rassurant; il semble même attiser davantage les dissenssions internes (et externes). Le CEPJ doit se ressaisir et recouvrer sa dignité et la confiance de la nation, même au prix de grands sacrifices.

Au Sénat, il est jusqu’à ce jour Impossible de réunir au complet les 20 membres y siégeant actuellement. Il est encore plus difficile d’obtenir la majorité des deux tiers qui permettrait que soient désignés les trois  représentants de l’Assemblée nationale au Conseil électoral permanent. Rappelons-nous que, comme le Président du CSPJ, le Président du Sénat ne peut voter que pour départager un vote dans l’impasse. Or, douze Sénateurs et trente-six Députés se sont déjà déclarés ouvertement hostiles à la formation d’un Conseil électoral permanent et exigent que ce soit de préférence un Conseil provisoire de consensus qui organise les prochaines élections. 

La voix (ou la voie) de la Sagesse 

Personnellement j’étais en faveur, et je suis encore en faveur de la mise en place d’un Conseil électoral permanent. Étant donné  qu’une majorité de mes collègues avait voté les amendements, considérant que la majorité des Parlementaires avait demandé la publication de la loi mère amendée,  je m’étais plié à la volonté du vote majoritaire comme tout bon démocrate. Par respect pour ce vote et pour les prescrits de la constitution amendée, il n’y avait pour moi d’autre voie que d’aller jusqu’au bout des décisions prises et former un Conseil électoral permanent. 

Cependant, tenant compte de la situation qui prévaut au sein du CSPJ et des réactions qu’elle ne cesse de susciter, considérant la crise qui se profile au Parlement si les diverses positions exprimées ne peuvent être conciliées, je ne peux que souhaiter un dialogue entre l’Exécutif, le Parlement, le CSPJ, les partis politiques et la société civile en vue de trouver un compromis.  

Ceci éviterait des contestations inutiles, néfastes au bon fonctionnement du gouvernement et de l’Etat haïtien en général. De même, Il serait fort sage que vous reveniez sur l’arrêté nommant une Directrice générale au Conseil électoral, avant même que celui-ci soit constitué. Il reviendra aux Conseillers eux-mêmes de se choisir un Directeur général, tout comme cela se fait dans les autres institutions indépendantes que sont la Cour supérieure des comptes et du contentieux administratif, l’Université d’Etat Haiti, l’Office du protecteur du citoyen.

Ce sont là la voix et la voie de la Sagesse …

Gouvernance

Une fois ce Conseil électoral formé, ses membres soumettront dans les plus brefs délais au Parlement, pour ratification, la loi électorale devant régir les joutes qui permettront le choix du tiers du Sénat, l’élection des Maires et des Casec.  Dans l’intervalle il y aura beaucoup à faire.

Le Parlement devra voter : la loi sur les Collectivités territoriales – la loi Organique du CEP permanent  – la loi contre la Corruption – la loi sur les Partis politiques – la loi contre l’Evasion fiscale – la loi contre le Vol de l’électricité. De son côté, l’Exécutif devrait aussi publier les lois votées par le Parlement mais non encore imprimées au Journal officiel tel la loi sur les Frais scolaires (pour bien montrer qu’il appuie l’éducation) – la loi sur l’Habeas corpus – la loi sur la Détention préventive – sur le Kidnapping, et toutes les autres lois votées au Parlement et non encore publiées au Moniteur.

Un tel tableau ne fera que renforcer le bilan du Président Martelly et de son gouvernement. Durant le processus électoral, vous aurez le choix de vous maintenir au dessus de la mêlée ou de travailler en vue de la victoire des candidats de votre parti aux élections. L’expérience de 1997 et celle de 2000 mentionnées plus haut indiquent clairement que l’Exécutif a tout intérêt à laisser parler librement les urnes et à se contenter du nombre de sièges qu’il aura démocratiquement obtenus.

Renforcement institutionnel

Après la publication des résultats des élections le cap devra immédiatement être mis sur la formation du Conseil électoral permanent, du Conseil constitutionnel, et la tenue des élections indirectes qui permettront au pays d’avoir les Assemblées municipales, départementales et le Conseil interdépartemental, dont les membres pourront finalement siéger au Conseil des Ministres  en lieu et place des Parlementaires que nous y observons actuellement, ce qui constitue une grande anomalie. 

Avant de terminer, je tiens à rappeler à votre Excellence et à l’opinion publique nationale que le document qui devrait s’intituler Constitution haïtienne de 1987 amendée n’existe nulle part. La reproduction des amendements pour erreur matérielle a bien eu lieu, mais il reste à publier la Constitution de 1987 avec tous les amendements incorporés! A ce sujet, je voudrais attirer votre attention sur le fait que le retard mis dans la ‘’reproduction pour erreur matérielle’’ est à l’origine de cette grave crise actuellement en gestation. Elle aurait pu avoir eu lieu bien avant la fin du mandat des dix Sénateurs qui avaient si farouchement rallié la cause de l’Exécutif.

Ces conseils vous sont adressés, Excellence, dans un élan patriotique en vue de trouver dans votre conscience d’homme d’Etat, un écho favorable qui ne fera que garantir davantage la réussite de votre mandat, tout en assurant le bien-être de ce peuple qui attend beaucoup de vous, de nous.

Patriotiquement,

Steven Irvenson BENOIT

Sénateur de la République

 

cc :         Le Président du Sénat

              Le Premier Ministre

             La presse

Jul 30 2012

Carnival of Flowers: An Economic, Not Political Factor

I have zero problem with the Carnival of Flowers currently going on in Port-au-Prince. In fact, I support it 100%. I’m not a politician, so I leave the politics surrounding the necessity of holding it to those who want to make it a political matter.

In my opinion, we need to push this event even harder. So I propose that we hold next year a week long of festivities, rather. That means, in a Summer Break spirit, along with the Carnival of Flowers, let’s hold a series of events to be ended with a big time international music festival (possibly on one of our beautiful beaches). And the promotion for this package of events for next year needs to start right away, right after this one.

These represent opportunities for the private sector to make money. The government should not have to spend a dime to organize them -other than providing security/logistical support to the private sector. That should be the extent of the government’s involvement.

These types of festivities could be organized on a larger scale and promoted on the global stage as our traditional cultural landmarks to encourage people all over the world to come and experience them.

Of course, this first time around is not going to be as successful as expected. But for the subsequent times to be, there has got to be this first time, which many are very critical and hostile to.

If many tend to look at this Carnival of Flowers as a waste, I see it as a business investment with great economic potentials. The product seems to look good to my standard; like any business investment, its success will depend on how hard and smart we are willing to work in order to market it around the world to attract potential buyers (the national and foreign tourists).

Yes, the country is facing one of the worst economic moments in its history, but nothing is wrong with holding the Carnival of Flowers to try to attract potential tourists; we only need to change our approach to organizing and marketing it. So let’s put politics aside and stop wasting our time criticizing the administration for something our shortsightedness has not allowed us to grasp.

Jul 19 2012

URGENT: Call For A Popular Uprising In Haiti

It has been 70 days since the Senate in Port-au-Prince has managed to hold their last legislative meeting, and that was for the ratification of Prime Minister Lamothe. Some of the senators have been AWOL (Absent Without Leave), infirming the quorum inside the chamber. Meanwhile, the people’s pressing and urgent problems are not breaking -one only has to walk our streets to see them raging.

What are we paying the members of this institution for -for not doing anything? Imagine what would have been these guys’ reaction had Prime Minister Lamothe been nowhere to be found for a week, just for a week. Hell would have broken loose.

It is obvious that the Senate has become right about now the people’s number one problem. There is a solution to any problem, and the solution to the problem the Senate represents is in the hands of the people. They can turn things around for the better in a blink of an eye if they really want to.

We are living a legislative dictatorship in Haiti, and we should fight it with everything we have at our disposal -just like we did in 1986 to force the dictatorship Duvalier regime out of power, after it has lived its political life expectancy.

The intent of the drafters of our Constitution was to put in place a structure that could prevent the erection or emergence of another dictatorship of any kind from either one of the three branches of government -executive, legislative and judiciary.

The current structure or system, as stipulated in the actual Constitution, is not working in the best interest of us all; it is only beneficial to a small circle of crooks and corrupted politicians. It constantly fails the state. And when the state keeps failing to deliver, the people must act swiftly and boldly to take the destiny of the nation into their own hands.

We must not rely on one man or woman to do what needs to be done. The president, whether it be President Martelly or someone else, regardless his or her impeccable political will, will not be able to do anything as he or she will have both his or her hands tied up; the Constitution creates a powerless executive. It takes all the power and places it in the hands of the legislative branch, creating a legislative dictatorship.

Power is not given; it is taken by any necessary means. So let us not expect the legislature to amend the Constitution to return to the executive some of its power to level things out. That will not happen without a fight, which only the people can give.

Needless to say, we need a popular uprising in the country similar to the one that took place in France on July 14 of 1789, known by the historic name of Storming of the Bastille, to rectify the mess that is going on right now in the country.

The people need to take matters into their own hands. They need to take the streets, storm and DESTROY the Senate and demand that a new Constitution be voted on and adopted immediately. We do not need a Senate anyway. What for? We only need a House of Deputies -just like the British have it -to bring to the political forefront the people’s problems. We created a bureaucratic layer we do not really need, slowing the pace of things for the people. It is simply a waste of time and resources, which we do not even have.

One does not need to be a rocket scientist to realize that this Constitution is the stem of ALL of our political setbacks. We need to break ties with the staleness if we must move forward. This Parliamentarian structure as we have it and this Constitution must go so we could start anew. Again, the brave people of Haiti have in their hands the solution to the problem the Senate represents. They just need to activate it, and they do know how.

Jul 2 2012

Justice Roberts: A Man Of Political Character

Chief Justice John G. Roberts

Chief Justice Roberts, a G. W. Bush appointee, is a man of political character. His vote on Thursday morning to side with the liberals to split the vote (Yay: 5 – Nay: 4) and uphold President Obama’s health care law is historical -the true exemplification of what we often refer to as “legislating from the bench” rather than from some type of a party ideology.

As someone who was appointed to the Supreme Court by a Conservative president for his Conservative values, Chief Justice Roberts has demonstrated such a great sense of statemanship and leadership.

Just when many may have thought he was likely to side with the Conservative justices in the likes of Scalia, Thomas and Co. to slash the president’s signature legislation, he swayed the other way.

On September 22, 2005, during the confirmation fight of Judge Roberts, then Senator Obama voted against putting him on the Supreme Court. In a speech on the Senate’s floor, the senator said about Judge Roberts:

[W]hen I examined Judge Roberts’ record and history of public service, it is my personal estimation that he has far more often used his formidable skills on behalf of the strong in opposition to the weak. In his work in the White House and the Solicitor General’s Office, he seemed to have consistently sided with those who were dismissive of efforts to eradicate the remnants of racial discrimination in our political process. In these same positions, he seemed dismissive of the concerns that it is harder to make it in this world and in this economy when you are a woman rather than a man[…]The bottom line is this: I will be voting against John Roberts’ nomination.

Today, the man whose nomination to the highest court in the land Senator Obama was trying to stop seven years ago is the one to have casted the historical vote to save President Obama’s landmark legislation during his tenure as President of the United States. Isn’t that something? Why did he not opt to make President Obama pay for the vote he had cast against him, which most people would have done?

People can say whatever they want, but this is indeed what you can call a functional democracy -when all the independent institutions are strong enough to operate on their own and in the best interest of the country.

The American democracy is sure not perfect, but it is working for the most part. I can only hope the people of my country Haiti can one day get to understand that strong institutions breed strong democracy.

Jun 22 2012

Is Senator Anick Joseph A Political Comedian?

Senator Francois Anick Joseph

Senator Anick Joseph of the Artibonite District, someone I used to have great esteem and admiration for, is now scooping to the lowest of the lows. Just when you think he could have spent his time pushing to pass legislation to get his district, which used to be the food-generating engine for the country, back on its knees, he wants to spend his congressional time in pettiness trying to find out how much money these President Martelly’s top political advisers (Lambert, Latortue, etc…) are getting paid to advise the president. Seriously, is this the senator’s newest punchline in his career of political comedian or what?

See, this is what you call vile demagoguery politics. In the realness of things, for the sake of checks and balances, what the senator is doing is exactly the right thing to do, and I do not think any objection to that could have stood ground. But it seems as though these folks in the so-called opposition to the Martelly administration want to enforce the law, that is if such recommendation is one of the senator’s constitutional prerogatives, only when it best serves to advance their political agenda.

Where was Senator Anick Joseph then when Moise Jean Charles was working in the National Palace as President Preval’s political adviser? I am sure President Preval had, like President Martelly, a gang of political advisers, too. If so, where was Senator Anick? I guess he was not in the Senate at the time, for I did not hear his voice wanting to institute his concept of checks and balances. Well, let us not be too harsh on the senator. Maybe that law that gives him the authority to find out how much the President Martelly’s top political advisers are getting paid had not made its way in the books yet. Right, Senator Anick?

Now you see why no one really wants to take the motives of this man and his acolytes at face value, right? I think they are in the wrong business. I should have been watching them on television doing stand-up comedy; they are a bunch of political comedians to me.

Jun 10 2012

Haitians: Stop Acting Like The Dominican Republic Is So Indispensable To You

Some of my fellow Haitians are crying blood over the fact that the Dominican Republic is placing immigration restrictions on Haitians to travel over there. What is the big deal? I myself do not see what the fuss is really about.

Let us look together what the new immigration restrictions put in place say. According to the Dominican ambassador in Haiti, Mr. Ruben Silié Valdés, for now on, no visas will be granted to third parties, including these local travel agencies, on behalf of individuals like it used to be. That means if you are going to make a demand for visa to visit the Dominican Republic, you must do so in person at one of their consulates.  Also, it is required of anyone making a demand for visa to submit an array of documents, such as proof of employment, bank attestation and invitation letter. It is now a violation for employers based in the Dominican Republic to hire illegal Haitian migrants.  

To be honest with you, I applaud their decision. That shows you they are taking care of business. That is the way it should be, and no one should hold that against them. Instead of engaging in a futile diplomatic uneasiness with them, we need to learn from them how to structure and organize our system. If your government does not care about who enters your country, do not expect governments from other countries to have the same attitude.

I really do not see the issue at hand that is getting some of my people to go ballistic. Some of us act as though the Dominicans owe us something. No, they do not. That is their country, and it is their prerogative to enact whatever policy deemed necessary to protect their territory for whatever reason. You can call the policy discriminatory however you want, that’s your business. But that is their country; therefore, they have to do what they have to do to protect their territory from whomever and whatever.

You don’t have to travel there. Don’t you have your own country? Okay, then. Stay in your country and place restrictions on foreigners to enter like everybody else is doing. I have yet to see you going on a rampage because the other countries -the United States, Canada, France, etc… -ask you to submit these same documents and even more.

Stop complaining like it is the end of the world for you if you do not travel to the Dominican Republic to be humiliated and mistreated for the most part. When a seller makes it so hard on you to purchase their products, in a free market economy, what do you do? You take your money some place else or make the products for your own consumption, don’t you? Okay, then. You do not go ballistic because they do not want to sell their products to you. Some of you make me sick making an issue out of a nonissue. Stop acting like the Dominican Republic is indispensable to you.