Haiti: Haitian Lawmakers Moved to Isolate President Martelly

An almighty Head of State cornered by a trigger-happy parliamentary firing squad must obtain a senate majority to see his designated Prime Minister Laurent Salvador Lamothe through the ratification process.

Many senators, namely John Joel Joseph who represents the West Department, exhorted resigning Foreign Affairs Minister Lamothe, rather than relying on President Michel Martelly, to take his fate in his own hands. As the legislator explained to reporters, Martelly’s credibility deficiencies with lawmakers rendered him obsolete and incapable of securing a clear majority, which he inferred lessened Lamothe’s chances of surviving the senate. Joseph highlighted the president’s constant conflicting relationship with the regulatory body and his undermining parliament’s authority as major deterrence to successful negotiations. He called on Lamothe to allocate his own allies within the upper house, absent any representing members of the executive in the National Assembly or Martelly’s negotiating power.

During an interview late last week, Joseph revealed that senators from various political parties began talking about creating a new majority, a move political analysts argued would isolate the head of state, excluding him from the negotiation table. “This block should be established to enable parliamentarians to have a space to discuss issues relating to the challenges the country currently faced,” hammered Joseph who emphasized a united senate would help move the country forward. Confirming his colleague’s revelation, Senator Francisco De La Cruz deemed the multiparty majority vital in addressing the population’s pressing needs, including forming a new government. “It will not be a majority created around the ratification of the designated prime minister, but we want to discuss major political issues of the state,” echoed De La Cruz.

President Martelly nominated close friend Lamothe for the post, days after Prime Minister Garry Conille offered him his resignation letter. However, friction at the highest level of state institutions promised a difficult process for the resigning minister. Martelly’s Group 16 that facilitated Conille’s ratification exploded during his tug-of-war with lawmakers, forcing the embattled head of state back to square one to fight the negotiation battle on his adversaries’ turf.

Meanwhile, as Haitian leaders wrapped themselves in this prolonged political entanglement, the United Nations denounced a lack of necessary resources to fund humanitarian services in Haiti. “The humanitarian community seeks $231 million to fund its work in the island nation this year,” revealed a statement released yesterday on behalf of Nigel Fisher, UN’s humanitarian coordinator in Haiti. “So far,” emphasized the note, “It has only received 8.5 per cent of that amount.” Those developments, inferred critics, had a linear relationship with the struggling Caribbean nation’s lack of a legitimate government to revive its stagnated recovery efforts; yet, Haitian leaders ineptitude persisted.

Since assuming office on May 14, 2011, his Excellency’s political capital nearly dissipated bumping from crisis to crisis. Last week, the House of Deputies released the results of its investigation into the matter, which placed President Martelly at the commands, piloting the unconstitutional arrest and brief incarceration of Deputy Arnel Belizaire late last year. Furthermore, ongoing senate investigations into both Lamothe and Martelly’s alleged foreign citizenship status fueled more controversies that weakened the administration, argued some analysts who theorized the senate’s dealings sought not only to isolate Martelly, but also to turn his friend Lamothe against him.