Robert Maguire, chairman of the USIP Haiti Working Group and professor at the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University, visited Haiti earlier this month to meet with government officials concerning Haiti’s current political impasse. He provides an update on the situation.
July 19, 2011
Robert Maguire, chairman of the USIP Haiti Working Group and professor at the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University, visited Haiti earlier this month to meet with government officials concerning Haiti’s current political impasse. He provides an update on the situation.
- What is the state of play with President Martelly's efforts to form a government?
- What is the status of Haiti's recovery effort?
- How can the international community prevent Haiti's political crisis from descending into violence?
What is the state of play with President Martelly's efforts to form a government?
President Michel Martelly is having difficulty working with parliament to identify an acceptable nominee for prime minister. After his first nominee was rejected, Martelly sent his second nominee, Bernard Gousse, on July 6th. Already 16 of the 30 Senate members have publicly rejected him because of his record as justice minister in Haiti’s interim government from 2004-05, which was marked by unlawful arrests, detentions and human rights abuse of supporters of deposed President Aristide. Martelly cut short a trip to Europe to return to Haiti on July 9th in order to rally support for his nominee. Few believe Gousse will be confirmed. In effect, previous popular expectations that Martelly would get off to a positive start have all but disappeared.
What is the status of Haiti's recovery effort?
In spite of a spate of presidential ribbon cuttings, the recovery effort from last year’s massive earthquake has stalled. Furthermore, Martelly’s deadlock with parliament means the Haitian government is unable to set priorities and make decisions concerning the funding recovery programs. This caused postponement of the June meeting of the Interim Haitian Recovery Commission (IHRC) because its Haitian co-chair, the former prime minister, is prohibited from acting on behalf of the government. Donors continue to withhold disbursements of recovery assistance pending resolution of the political crisis. Little progress has been made in resettling the 650,000 people still in squalid tent camps in Port-au-Prince. Cholera cases have surged with up to 1,700 new cases each day as a result of poor sanitary conditions. Rubble removal is taking place, but the misery of internally displaced Haitians is unabated as the hurricane season approaches.
How can the international community prevent Haiti's political crisis from descending into violence?
Martelly is a political novice who seems more likely to confront his political opponents than seek consensus. Most Haitians, regardless of political affiliation, want Martelly to succeed and serve his full five year term. The international community must capitalize on this sentiment and use the leverage provided by Haiti’s need for assistance to promote a rapid solution to the current political crisis and renewed attention to promoting recovery. Ultimately, however, Haiti’s political impasse must be resolved by responsible Haitian actors without resort to the type of violence that has plagued Haiti in the past.