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100-580: The government of Haiti is a semi-presidential republic , a multiparty system wherein the President of Haiti is head of state elected directly by popular elections . The Prime Minister acts as head of government and is appointed by the President, chosen from the majority party in the National Assembly. Executive power is exercised by the President and Prime Minister who together constitute

200-557: A 2004 coup d'état after right-wing ex-army paramilitary units invaded the country from across the Dominican border. Aristide and many others have alleged that the United States had a role in orchestrating the second coup against him. In 2022, numerous Haitian and French officials told  The New York Times  that France and the United States had effectively overthrown Aristide by pressuring him to step down, though this

300-400: A presidential run-off election scheduled for 20 March. Aristide's party was barred from participating in the election, and the U.S. feared his return could be destabilizing. On Friday, 18 March 2011, he and his spouse arrived at Port-au-Prince Airport , and were greeted by thousands of supporters. He told the crowd waiting at the airport: "The exclusion of Fanmi Lavalas is the exclusion of

400-578: A Socialist premier. But while the president's term of office was for seven years, the National Assembly only served for five. When, in the 1986 legislative election , the French people elected a right-of-centre assembly, Socialist president François Mitterrand was forced into cohabitation with right-wing premier Jacques Chirac . However, in 2000, amendments to the French constitution reduced

500-496: A clergyman. Aristide appealed the decision, saying: "The crime of which I stand accused is the crime of preaching food for all men and women." In a January 1988 interview, he said "The solution is revolution, first in the spirit of the Gospel; Jesus could not accept people going hungry. It is a conflict between classes, rich and poor. My role is to preach and organize...." In 1994, Aristide left priesthood, ending years of tension with

600-518: A coup d'état . As a priest, he taught liberation theology and, as president, he attempted to normalize Afro-Creole culture, including Vodou religion, in Haiti. Aristide was appointed to a parish in Port-au-Prince in 1982 after completing his studies to become a priest. He became a focal point for the pro-democracy movement, first under Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier and then under

700-465: A favorability rating above 50%". After René Préval , a former ally of Aristide, was elected president of Haiti in 2006, he said it would be possible for Aristide to return to Haiti. On 16 December 2009, several thousand protesters marched through Port-au-Prince calling for Aristide's return to Haiti, and protesting the exclusion of Aristide's Fanmi Lavalas party from upcoming elections. On 12 January 2010, Aristide sent his condolences to victims of

800-491: A first-round majority for this handful of senate seats. Critics also charge that Fanmi Lavalas controlled the Provisional Election Commission which made the decision, but their criticism is of a vote count technique used prior in Haiti history. Aristide then was elected later that year in the 2000 presidential election , an election boycotted by most opposition political parties, now organised into

900-519: A food distribution network to provide low cost food to the poor at below market prices, building low-cost housing, and reducing government corruption. During successive Lavalas administrations, Jean-Bertrand Aristide and René Préval built 195 new primary schools and 104 secondary schools. Prior to Aristide's election in 1990, there were just 34 secondary schools nationwide. Lavalas also provided thousands of scholarships so that children could afford to attend church/private schools. Between 2001 and 2004,

1000-608: A government villa in Pretoria. In South Africa, Aristide became an honorary research fellow at the University of South Africa , learned Zulu , and, on 25 April 2007, received a doctorate in African languages. On 21 December 2007, a speech by Aristide marking the new year and Haiti's Independence Day was broadcast, the fourth such speech since his exile; in the speech he criticized the 2006 presidential election in which Préval

1100-545: A handful of wealthy individuals from among Haiti's upper class that had financed paramilitary death squads, including individuals such as Judy C. Roy (who has acknowledged her financing of the FLRN death squads) of whom held close ties with the former dictators Raoul Cedras and Jean-Claude Duvalier. Reforming the country's security services though posed a constant problem for Lavalas, as the U.S. sought to undermine these reform efforts by seeking to re-insert its right-wing allies into

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1200-499: A massacre in the city of Saint-Marc. The rebels soon took control of the North, and eventually laid siege to, and then invaded, the capital. Under disputed circumstances, Aristide was flown out of the country by the U.S. with assistance from Canada and France on 28 February 2004. Aristide and his bodyguard, Franz Gabriel, stated that he was the victim of a "new coup d'état or modern kidnapping" by U.S. forces. Mrs. Aristide stated that

1300-587: A member of parliament, Sharon Hay-Webster , to the Central African Republic . The leadership of that country agreed that Aristide and his family could go to Jamaica. The Aristide family remained on the island for several months until the Jamaican government gained acceptance by the Republic of South Africa for the family to relocate there. Aristide later claimed that France and the U.S. had

1400-514: A poor neighborhood in Port-au-Prince. Struck by the absence of young people in the church, Aristide began to organize youth, sponsoring weekly youth Masses. He founded an orphanage for urban street children in 1986 called Lafanmi Selavi [Family is Life]. The program sought to be a model of participatory democracy for the children it served. As Aristide became a leading voice for the aspirations of Haiti's dispossessed, he inevitably became

1500-413: A president-parliamentary system, the prime minister and cabinet are dually accountable to the president and the legislature. Jean-Bertrand Aristide Jean-Bertrand Aristide ( French pronunciation: [ʒɑ̃ bɛʁtʁɑ̃ aʁistid] ; born 15 July 1953) is a Haitian former Salesian priest and politician who became Haiti 's first democratically elected president in 1991 before being deposed in

1600-433: A role in what he termed "a kidnapping" that took him from Haiti to South Africa via the Central African Republic . However, authorities said his temporary asylum there had been negotiated by the United States, France and Gabon . On 1 March 2004, U.S. congresswoman Maxine Waters , along with Aristide family friend Randall Robinson , reported Aristide had told them that he had been forced to resign and had been abducted from

1700-519: A target for attack. He survived at least four assassination attempts. The most widely publicized attempt, the St. Jean Bosco massacre , occurred on 11 September 1988, During the attempt over one hundred armed Tontons Macoute wearing red armbands forced their way into St. Jean Bosco as Aristide began Sunday Mass. As army troops and police stood by, the men fired machine guns at the congregation and attacked fleeing parishioners with machetes. Aristide's church

1800-695: Is universal , for adults over 18. The constitution was rewritten by the United States to model those of the United States and of France . It was approved in March 1987, but it was completely suspended from June 1988 to March 1989 and was only fully reinstated in October 1994. Some members of the Haitian government have also recently stated there should be state mandated weddings by age 25, but this has been met with wide disdain. Haiti's executive branch

1900-642: Is Claude Joseph, acting in 2021. In 2010, there were 7,000 people in the Haitian National Police. The Institute for the Protection of National Heritage has preserved 33 historical monuments and the historic center of Cap-Haïtien. The legal system for torts is based on a version of the Napoleonic Code . In 2013, the annual budget was US$ 1 billion. Jean-Jacques Dessalines was the first leader of free and independent Haiti under

2000-423: Is a republic in which a president exists alongside a prime minister and a cabinet , with the latter two being responsible to the legislature of the state . It differs from a parliamentary republic in that it has an executive president independent of the legislature ; and from the presidential system in that the cabinet , although named by the president, is responsible to the legislature, which may force

2100-466: Is called " cohabitation ", a term which originated in France after the situation first arose in the 1980s. Cohabitation can create either an effective system of checks and balances , or a period of bitter and tense stonewalling, depending on the attitudes of the two leaders, the ideologies of themselves/their parties, and the demands of their supporters. The distribution of power between the president and

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2200-449: Is composed of two parts, the presidency and the government. In this sense, "government" refers specifically to the portion of the executive branch outside of the presidency, and not to Haiti's political system as a whole. The president is the head of state and elected by popular vote every five years for a five-year term, and may not serve consecutive terms. The last presidential election was held on 20 November 2016. The latest president

2300-717: Is described as his resignation, does not actually contain Aristide clearly and officially resigning. Representative Charles Rangel , D-New York, expressed similar words, saying Aristide had told him he was "disappointed that the international community had let him down" and "that he resigned under pressure" – "As a matter of fact, he was very apprehensive for his life. They made it clear that he had to go now or he would be killed." When asked for his response to these statements Colin Powell said that "it might have been better for members of Congress who have heard these stories to ask us about

2400-445: Is divided into from three to seven arrondissements , and arrondissements are further divided into communes. The departments are listed below, with the departmental capital cities in parentheses. The departments are further divided into 41 arrondissements , and 133 communes , which serve as second- and third-level administrative divisions. Semi-presidential system A semi-presidential republic , or dual executive republic ,

2500-633: Is used in: Guinea-Bissau , Mozambique , Russia , and Taiwan . It was also used in Ukraine (first between 1996 and 2005; then from 2010 to 2014), Georgia (from 2004 to 2013), South Korea under the Fourth and Fifth republics, and in Germany during the Weimar Republic . In a semi-presidential system, the president and the prime minister may sometimes be from different political parties. This

2600-498: The Constitution , Poland is a parliamentary republic ), Portugal , Romania , São Tomé and Príncipe , Sri Lanka , Turkey ( de facto between 2014 and 2018, until the constitutional amendment to switch the government to presidential from parliamentary ), and Ukraine (since 2014; previously, between 2006 and 2010). Under the president-parliamentary system, the prime minister and cabinet are dually accountable to

2700-562: The Convergence Démocratique . Although the U.S. government claimed that the election turnout was hardly over 10%, international observers saw turnout of around 50% , and at the time, CNN reported a turnout of 60% with over 92% voting for Aristide. The Bush administration in the U.S. and Haitian expatriate opposition leaders in Florida would use the criticism over the election to argue for an embargo on international aid to

2800-542: The Cremisan Monastery in the town of Beit Jala . He returned to Haiti in 1982 for his ordination as a Salesian priest, and was appointed curate of a small parish in Port-au-Prince. Between 1957 and 1986, Haiti was ruled by the family dictatorships of François "Papa Doc" and Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier . The misery endured by Haiti's poor made a deep impression on Aristide himself, and he became an outspoken critic of Duvalierism. Nor did he spare

2900-852: The Fanmi Lavalas . The OPL, holding the majority in the Sénat and the Chambre des Députés , renamed itself the Organisation du Peuple en Lutte , maintaining the OPL acronym. Fanmi Lavalas won the 2000 legislative election in May, but a handful of Senate seats were allocated to Lavalas candidates that critics claimed should have had second-round runoffs (as the votes of some smaller parties were eliminated in final vote counts, which had also been done in earlier elections). Critics argue that FL had not achieved

3000-603: The French Fifth Republic (established in 1958). Maurice Duverger 's original definition of semi-presidentialism stated that the president had to be elected, possess significant power, and serve for a fixed term. Modern definitions merely declare that the head of state has to be elected, and that a separate prime minister that is dependent on parliamentary confidence has to lead the legislative. There are two distinct subtypes of semi-presidentialism: premier-presidentialism and president-parliamentarism. Under

3100-652: The Roman civil law system. Haiti accepts compulsory jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice . There is a Supreme Court (Cour de Cassation), assisted by local and civil courts at a communal level. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, is in line to succeed the President in case of death or resignation, according to the 1987 Constitution of Haiti . For reasons of administration, Haiti has been divided into ten departments . Each department

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3200-937: The Salesian order . He was educated at the Collège Notre-Dame in Cap-Haïtien , graduating with honors in 1974. He then took a course of novitiate studies in La Vega, Dominican Republic , before returning to Haiti to study philosophy at the Grand Séminaire Notre Dame and psychology at the State University of Haiti . After completing his post-graduate studies in 1979, Aristide travelled in Europe , studying in Italy , Greece , and at

3300-461: The Senate (Sénat). The Chamber of Deputies has ninety-nine members, who are elected by popular vote for four-year terms. The Senate consists of thirty members elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms, with one third elected every two years. The last Senate elections were held on 28 November 2010 with run-off elections on 20 March 2011. The following Senate election, for one third of the seats,

3400-426: The United States , working to develop international support. A United Nations trade embargo during Aristide's exile, intended to force the coup leaders to step down, was a strong blow to Haiti's already weak economy. President George H. W. Bush granted an exemption from the embargo to many U.S. companies doing business in Haiti, and president Bill Clinton extended this exemption. In addition to this trade with

3500-630: The earthquake in Haiti just a few hours after it occurred, and stated that he wished to return to help rebuild the country. On 7 November 2010, in an exclusive interview (the last given before his return to Haiti) with independent reporter Nicolas Rossier in Eurasia Review and the Huffington Post , Aristide declared that the 2010 elections were not inclusive of his party, Fanmi Lavalas, and therefore not fair and free. He also confirmed his wishes to go back to Haiti but stated that he

3600-523: The premier-presidential system, the prime minister and cabinet are exclusively accountable to parliament. The president may choose the prime minister and cabinet, but only the parliament may approve them and remove them from office with a vote of no confidence . This system is much closer to pure parliamentarism. This subtype is used in: Burkina Faso , Cape Verde , East Timor , France , Lithuania , Madagascar , Mali , Mongolia , Niger , Georgia (2013–2018), Poland ( de facto , however, according to

3700-407: The prime minister and the president is not explicitly stated in the constitution, but has evolved as a political convention based on the constitutional principle that the prime minister is appointed (with the subsequent approval of a parliament majority) and dismissed by the president. On the other hand, whenever the president and the prime minister represent the same political party, which leads

3800-680: The " Front National pour le Changement et la Démocratie " (National Front for Change and Democracy, or FNCD), Aristide was elected president in 1990 with 67% of the vote in what is generally recognized as the first honest election in Haitian history. However, just eight months into his presidency he was overthrown by a bloody military coup . He broke from FNCD and created the Struggling People's Organization (OPL, Organisation Politique "Lavalas") – "the flood" or "torrent" in Kréyòl . The coup d'état overthrowing Aristide occurred six weeks after

3900-478: The 1805 constitution. He was initially regarded as governor-general, then later called himself Emperor Jacques I of Haiti. His regime lasted two and half years (1804-1806) and ended with his assassination by disaffected leaders of his administration. In 1806, Constituent Assembly created a new constitution and appointed Henri Christophe to a four-year term as President of the Republic of Haiti. The following year,

4000-544: The 200-year anniversary of Bois Caïman , a Vodou ceremony during which Haitians planned the Haitian Revolution of 1791, which the Aristide government had commemorated at the National Palace. A coup attempt against Aristide had taken place on 6 January, even before his inauguration, when Roger Lafontant , a Tonton Macoute leader under Duvalier, seized the provisional president Ertha Pascal-Trouillot

4100-711: The Battle of Sibert ended with the division of Haiti into the southern Republic of Haiti under Alexandre Pétion and the northern State of Haiti under Christophe. In 1818, Pétion died of a fever and Jean-Pierre Boyer , Chief of the Presidential Guard, was appointed President-for-Life of the Republic of Haiti. After Christophe committed suicide in 1820, Boyer promulgates the Republican Constitution in Christophe's northern state. This resulted in

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4200-748: The CIA's connections to these drug traffickers in the junta not only dated to the creation of SIN, but were ongoing during and after the coup. Nairn's claims are confirmed in part by revelations of Emmanuel Constant regarding the ties of his FRAPH organization to the CIA before and during the coup government. Following large pro-Aristide demonstrations by Haitian expats (estimated over 60,000 demonstrators in New York City) urging Bill Clinton to deliver on his election promise to return Aristide to Haiti, U.S. and international pressure (including United Nations Security Council Resolution 940 on 31 July 1994), persuaded

4300-540: The Cannibal Army was joined in its fight against the government by former military and police, many of whom had been in exile in the Dominican Republic and who had been launching cross-border raids since 2001. The paramilitary campaign was headed by ex-police chief Guy Philippe and former FRAPH death squad founder Louis Jodel Chamblain. In February 2004, pro-Aristide forces were accused of committing

4400-540: The Haitian government. In 2003, Aristide called for France, the former colonizer of the country, to pay $ 21 billion in restitution to Haiti for the 90 million gold francs supplied to France by Haiti in restitution for French property, including enslaved people, that was appropriated in the Haitian rebellion, over the period from 1825 to 1947. It has been alleged that after his return to power in 2001, Aristide increasingly relied on street gangs to enforce his will and to terrorize his political opponents. After

4500-475: The Haitian people. In 1804, the Haitian revolution marked the end of slavery. Today, may the Haitian people end exiles and coups d’état, while peacefully moving from social exclusion to inclusion." After Aristide returned to Haiti in 2011, he abstained from political involvement. On 12 September 2014, Aristide was ordered under house arrest by Judge Lamarre Belzaire while under a corruption investigation. Aristide's lawyers and supporters of Fanmi Lavalas questioned

4600-516: The Lavalas movement. In September 1991 the army performed a coup against him ( 1991 Haitian coup d'état ), led by army general Raoul Cédras , who had been promoted by Aristide in June to commander in chief of the army. Aristide was deposed on 29 September 1991, and after several days sent into exile, his life only saved by the intervention of U.S., French and Venezuelan diplomats. In accordance with

4700-543: The Ministers and Secretaries of State and goes before the National Assembly to obtain a vote of confidence for his declaration of general policy. The Prime Minister enforces the laws and, along with the President, is responsible for national defense. The ministries of the Haitian government are: The bicameral National Assembly of Haiti (Assemblée Nationale) consists of the Chamber of Deputies (Chambre des Députés) and

4800-585: The National Assembly threatened a no-confidence vote against Préval in August 1991. This led to a crowd of at least 2000 at the National Palace, which threatened violence; together with Aristide's failure to explicitly reject mob violence, this permitted the junta, which would topple him, to accuse him of human rights violations. The nomination of Marie-Denise Fabien Jean-Louis , a Duvalier-linked physician with no diplomatic experience, as minister of foreign affairs , also received significant opposition from many within

4900-498: The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) as part of the war on drugs, were involved in the coup, and were reportedly still receiving funding and training from the CIA for intelligence-gathering activities at the time of the coup, but this funding reportedly ended after the coup. The New York Times stated, "No evidence suggests that the C.I.A. backed the coup or intentionally undermined President Aristide." However, press reports about possible CIA involvement in Haitian politics before

5000-524: The United States, the coup regime was supported by massive profits from the drug trade thanks to the Haitian military's affiliation with the Cali Cartel ; Aristide publicly stated that his own pursuit of arresting drug dealers was one event that prompted the coup by drug-affiliated military officials Raul Cedras and Michel Francois (a claim echoed by his former secretary of State Patrick Elie). Representative John Conyers (D-Michigan) expressed concern that

5100-452: The [Haitian] government...vulnerable to...resurgent populist and anti-market economy political forces – reversing gains of the last two years. MINUSTAH is an indispensable tool in realizing core USG [U.S. government] policy interests in Haiti." At a meeting with U.S. State Department officials on 2 August 2006, former Guatemalan diplomat Edmond Mulet , then chief of MINUSTAH, urged U.S. legal action against Aristide to prevent

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5200-408: The cabinet to resign through a motion of no confidence . While the Weimar Republic (1919–1933) and Finland (from 1919 to 2000) exemplified early semi-presidential systems, the term "semi-presidential" was first introduced in 1959 in an article by journalist Hubert Beuve-Méry , and popularized by a 1978 work written by political scientist Maurice Duverger , both of whom intended to describe

5300-430: The cabinet, they tend to exercise de facto control over all fields of policy via the prime minister. However, it is up to the president to decide how much autonomy is left to said prime minister. In most cases, cohabitation results from a system in which the two executives are not elected at the same time or for the same term. For example, in 1981, France elected both a Socialist president and legislature, which yielded

5400-419: The church over his criticism of its hierarchy and his espousal of liberation theology. Aristide married Mildred Trouillot , on 20 January 1996, with whom he had two daughters. Following the violence at the aborted national election of 1987 , the 1990 election was approached with caution. Aristide announced his candidacy for the presidency. Following a six-week campaign, during which he dubbed his followers

5500-408: The collection of revenues and banks in Haiti for 19 years. American forces withdraw from Haiti in 1934 marking the end of the U.S. occupation. In 1957, François Duvalier , also known as "Papa Doc", was elected President of Haiti. In 1964, he declared himself president for life and established that his son, Jean-Claude Duvalier , known as "Baby Doc", would succeed him. During their regime, opposition to

5600-599: The commander in chief of the army Hérard Abraham , initiated investigations of human rights violations, and brought to trial several Tontons Macoute who had not fled the country. He also banned the emigration of many well known Haitians until their bank accounts had been examined. His relationship with the National Assembly soon deteriorated, and he attempted repeatedly to bypass it on judicial, Cabinet and ambassadorial appointments. His nomination of his close friend and political ally, René Préval , as prime minister, provoked severe criticism from political opponents overlooked, and

5700-438: The confusion produced by mixed authority patterns. It can be argued that a semi-presidential republic is more likely to engage in democratic backsliding and power struggles , especially ones with a president-parliamentary system. Advantages Disadvantages In a premier-presidential system, the prime minister and cabinet are exclusively accountable to the legislature. Non-UN members or observers are in italics. In

5800-460: The country by the United States and that he had been held hostage by an armed military guard. According to Waters, Mildred Aristide called her at her home at 6:30 am, informing her that "the coup d'etat has been completed". She also stated how Jean-Bertrand Aristide claimed the U.S. embassy in Haiti's chief of staff came to his house and threatened that he, alongside many other Haitians would be killed if he did not resign. Aristide's letter, which

5900-619: The coup sparked congressional hearings in the United States. A campaign of terror against Aristide supporters was started by Emmanuel Constant after Aristide was forced out of power. In 1993, Constant, who had been on the CIA's payroll as an informant since 1992, organized the Front for the Advancement and Progress of Haïti (FRAPH), which targeted and killed Aristide supporters. Aristide spent his exile first in Venezuela and then in

6000-450: The coup, called these claims untrue, stating that it was never U.S. policy to remove Aristide. He said that Aristide had requested a U.S. rescue and that the decision to dispatch a plane to carry him to safety had been agreed upon following night-time discussions at the behest of Aristide. In a 2006 interview, Aristide claimed the United States reneged on compromises he made with it over the privatization of enterprises to ensure that part of

6100-472: The devastation unleashed by Hurricane Georges in 1998, Cuba entered a humanitarian agreement with Haiti whereby Haitian doctors would be trained in Cuba, and Cuban doctors would work in rural areas. At the time of 2010 Haiti earthquake , 573 doctors had been trained in Cuba. Despite operating under an aid embargo, the Lavalas administration succeeded in reducing the infant mortality rate as well as reducing

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6200-430: The emergence of armed rebels seeking to overthrow Aristide reflected "the failure of the country's democratic institutions and procedures". According to a study by researcher Jeb Sprague, the armed rebel paramilitary units received vital support from a handful of Haitian elites, Dominican governmental sectors, and foreign intelligence. The undermanned Haitian police faced difficulties in repelling cross-border attacks led by

6300-442: The first and only woman president. After large numbers of Aristide supporters filled the streets in protest and Lafontant attempted to declare martial law, the army crushed the incipient coup. During Aristide's short-lived first period in office, he attempted to carry out substantial reforms, which brought passionate opposition from Haiti's business and military elite. He sought to bring the military under civilian control, retiring

6400-428: The first time in many years, returned to electioneering, touring the country to promote Fanmi Lavalas candidates; the election results (decried by his party as illegitimate) returned to power right-wing forces in the country, with only a 20% voter turnout. Under president Aristide's leadership, the Haitian government implemented many major reforms. These included greatly increasing access to health care and education for

6500-419: The former president from gaining more traction with the Haitian population and returning to Haiti. At Mulet's request, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan urged South Africa ’s president Thabo Mbeki to ensure that Aristide remained in the country. U.S. ambassador James Foley wrote in a confidential 22 March 2005 cable that an August 2004 poll "showed that Aristide was still the only figure in Haiti with

6600-470: The general population, increasing adult literacy and protections for those accused of crimes, improving training for judges, prohibiting human trafficking , disbanding the Haitian military , establishing an improved climate for human rights and civil liberties, doubling the minimum wage , instituting land reform and assistance to small farmers, providing boat construction training to fishermen, establishing

6700-508: The government was not tolerated; thus, the Duvaliers used violence and terror to suppress the masses, killing about 30,000 Haitians. Finally, in 1986, a series of uprisings forced Baby Doc to flee Haiti for France. The Duvalier family stole millions of dollars during their administration, leaving Haiti in extreme debt today. On February 29, 2004, a coup d'état led by the Group of 184 ousted

6800-411: The government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the two chambers of the National Assembly of Haiti . The government is organized unitarily , thus the central government delegates powers to the departments without a constitutional need for consent. The current structure of Haiti's political system was set forth in the Constitution of Haiti on 29 March 1987. The current president

6900-513: The health field". The Lavalas political project has long been dedicated to promoting a civilian police force and disbanding the long-time tools of elite repression in Haiti which have been the country's brutal military and paramilitary forces. The government under Aristide launched the first trial of paramilitary death squads and successfully jailed many after aired on Haitian public television trials of FAdH and FRAPH members involved in massacres of civilians. Trials were held bringing to justice

7000-595: The hierarchy of the country's church, since a 1966 Vatican Concordat granted Duvalier one-time power to appoint Haiti's bishops. An exponent of liberation theology, Aristide denounced Duvalier's regime in one of his earliest sermons. This did not go unnoticed by the regime's top echelons. Under pressure, the provincial delegate of the Salesian Order sent Aristide into three years of exile in Montreal . By 1985, as popular opposition to Duvalier's regime grew, Aristide

7100-488: The international community to provide the requisite support. The removal of President Aristide in these circumstances sets a dangerous precedent for democratically elected governments anywhere and everywhere, as it promotes the removal of duly elected persons from office by the power of rebel forces." Meanwhile, National Palace security agent Casimir Chariot said that Aristide left of his own free will. Aristide's Prime Minister, Yvon Neptune, also said that Aristide's resignation

7200-466: The legality of the judge's order under Haitian law as well as the judge's impartiality. During the elections of 1991 and 2000 of Aristide and the 1995 and 2006 elections of Rene Preval, the turnout of the total voting population hovered at around 60–70%. In the years following the 2010 earthquake, turnout in elections dropped significantly to 20%. During this period, the right-wing rose to power, with mass voter disenfranchisement. In late 2016 Aristide, for

7300-410: The length of the French president's term to five years. This has significantly lowered the chances of cohabitation occurring, as parliamentary and presidential elections may now be conducted within a shorter span of each other. The incorporation of elements from both presidential and parliamentary republics can bring certain advantageous elements; however, it also creates disadvantages, often related to

7400-471: The military regime to back down and U.S. troops were deployed in the country by President Bill Clinton. On 15 October 1994, the Clinton administration returned Aristide to Haiti to complete his term in office. Aristide received the 1996 UNESCO Prize for human rights education. In late 1996, Aristide broke from the OPL over what he called its "distance from the people" and created a new political party,

7500-458: The military transition regime which followed. He won the 1990–91 Haitian presidential election with 67% of the vote but was ousted just months later in the September 1991 military coup . The coup regime collapsed in 1994 under U.S. pressure and threat of force ( Operation Uphold Democracy ), and Aristide was president again from 1994 to 1996 and from 2001 to 2004. Aristide was ousted again in

7600-579: The murder of Amiot Métayer, the leader of the pro-Aristide Lame Kanibal (Cannibal Army) gang in the Raboteau slum in the northern city of Gonaïves in September 2003, Métayer's partisans, believing that Aristide had ordered his killing, rose up against the president. On 5 December 2003, organized pro-Aristide forces committed and encouraged violent attacks and threats against University of Port-au-Prince students protesting against Aristide. In early 2004,

7700-564: The only U.S. government agency to publicly recognize the Haitian junta's role in drug trafficking was the Drug Enforcement Administration , and that, despite a wealth of evidence provided by the DEA proving the junta's drug connections, the Clinton administration downplayed this factor rather than use it as a hedge against the junta (as the U.S. government had done against Manuel Noriega ). Nairn in particular alleged that

7800-401: The percentage of children enrolled in primary school education rose to 72%, and an estimated 300,000 adults took part in Lavalas sponsored adult literacy campaigns. This helped the adult literacy rate rise from 35% to 55%. In addition to numerous educational advances, Aristide and Lavalas embarked on an ambitious plan to develop the public primary health care system with Cuban assistance. Since

7900-469: The percentage of underweight newborns. A successful AIDS prevention and treatment program was also established, leading the Catholic Institute for International Relations to state: the "incredible feat of slowing the rate of new infections in Haiti has been achieved despite the lack of international aid to the Haitian government, and despite the notable lack of resources faced by those working in

8000-401: The personnel who escorted him wore U.S. Special Forces uniforms, but changed into civilian clothes upon boarding the aircraft that was used to remove them from Haiti. Jamaican prime minister P. J. Patterson released a statement saying "we are bound to question whether his resignation was truly voluntary, as it comes after the capture of regions of Haiti by armed insurgents and the failure of

8100-411: The police force. The Lavalas government also faced a lack of resources, due to cuts in aid to Haiti with US policies under the first presidency of George W. Bush . Meanwhile, there was continued prevalence of corruption in connection with the drug trade. Human Rights Watch accused the Haitian police force under Aristide and his political supporters of attacks on opposition rallies. They also said that

8200-402: The popularly elected president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide , allegedly with the assistance of the French and United States governments; U.S. and French soldiers were on the ground in Haiti at the time, recently arrived ( See controversy ). The first elections since the overthrow were held on February 8, 2006 to elect a new President . René Préval was declared to have won with over 50 percent of

8300-420: The president and to the parliament. The president chooses the prime minister and the cabinet, but must have the support of a parliamentary majority for his choice. In order to remove a prime minister, or the whole cabinet, from power, the president can either dismiss them, or the parliament can remove them through a vote of no confidence . This form of semi-presidentialism is much closer to pure presidentialism. It

8400-399: The prime minister can vary greatly between countries. In France , for example, in the case of cohabitation, the president oversees foreign policy and defense policy (these are generally called les prérogatives présidentielles , presidential prerogatives) and the prime minister is in charge of domestic policy and economic policy . In this case, the division of responsibilities between

8500-400: The pro-Aristide 30 September Foundation] wore a T-shirt demanding the return of foundation leader Lovinsky Pierre-Antoine, a human rights activist and critic of both U.N. and U.S. involvement in Haiti who disappeared in August." In a confidential 2008 United States embassy cable, former U.S. ambassador to Haiti Janet Sanderson emphasized that: "A premature departure of MINUSTAH would leave

8600-506: The profits from those enterprises would be distributed to the Haitian population and then relied on a disinformation campaign to discredit him. After being cast into exile, in mid-2004 Aristide, his family, and bodyguards were welcomed to South Africa by several cabinet ministers, 20 senior diplomats, and a guard of honor. Receiving a salary from and provided staff by the South African government, Aristide lived with his family in

8700-462: The rebellion and removal of Aristide were covertly orchestrated by these two countries and Canada. In 2022, Thierry Burkard, the French ambassador to Haiti at the time, told the New York Times that France and the United States had effectively orchestrated a coup against Aristide by forcing him into exile. In response to this, James Brendan Foley , U.S. Ambassador to Haiti at the time of

8800-572: The requirements of article 149 of the Haitian Constitution, Superior Court justice Joseph Nérette was installed as président provisoire to serve until elections were held within 90 days of Aristide's resignation. However, real power was held by army commander Raoul Cédras . High-ranking members of the Haitian National Intelligence Service (SIN), which had been set up and financed in the 1980s by

8900-423: The stories before going public with them so we don't make a difficult situation that much more difficult" and he alleged that Aristide "did not democratically govern or govern well". CARICOM , an organization of Caribbean countries that included Haiti, called for a United Nations investigation into Aristide's removal, but were reportedly pressured by the U.S. and France to drop their request. Some observers suggest

9000-470: The unification of northern and southern Haiti. In 1822, Boyer arrives in Santo Domingo and declares control over the entire island of Hispaniola . Under Boyer, King Charles X of France signs an ordinance which conditionally recognizes Haiti's independence and imposes a 150 million franc indemnity on the Haitian government. This debt plagued Haiti's economy for generations. in 1843, President Boyer

9100-512: The vote. In 2008, Parliament voted to dismiss President Preval's Prime Minister following severe rioting over food prices . His selected replacement for the post was rejected by Parliament, throwing the country into a prolonged period without a government. Haiti is officially a semi- presidential republic . However, sources such as the Democracy Index have described Haiti as a hybrid or authoritarian regime in practice. Suffrage

9200-472: Was Jovenel Moïse until his assassination on 7 July 2021. The president appoints the prime minister and his cabinet, which must be ratified by the National Assembly. Haiti's cabinet , called Council of Ministers, is led by the Prime Minister, and includes other ministers. The prime minister, the head of government , is appointed by the president and ratified by the National Assembly. He appoints

9300-543: Was back preaching in Haiti. His Easter Week sermon, "A call to holiness", delivered at the cathedral of Port-au-Prince and later broadcast throughout Haiti, proclaimed: "The path of those Haitians who reject the regime is the path of righteousness and love." Aristide became a leading figure in the Ti Legliz movement, whose name means "little church" in Kreyòl . In September 1985, he was appointed to St. Jean Bosco church, in

9400-553: Was burned to the ground. Thirteen people are reported to have been killed, and 77 wounded. Aristide survived and went into hiding. Subsequently, Salesian officials ordered Aristide to leave Haiti, but tens of thousands of Haitians protested, blocking his access to the airport. In December 1988, Aristide was expelled from his Salesian order. A statement prepared by the Salesians called the priest's political activities an "incitement to hatred and violence", out of line with his role as

9500-565: Was denied by James Foley , U.S. Ambassador to Haiti at the time of the coup. After the second coup against him, Aristide went into exile in the Central African Republic and South Africa . He returned to Haiti in 2011 after seven years in exile. Jean-Bertrand Aristide was born into poverty in Port-Salut , Sud on 15 July 1953. His father died three months after Aristide was born, and he later moved to Port-au-Prince with his mother. At age five, Aristide started school with priests of

9600-457: Was elected, describing it as a "selection", in which "the knife of treason was planted" in the back of the Haitian people. Since the election, some high-ranking members of Lavalas have been targets for violence. Lovinsky Pierre-Antoine , a leading human rights organizer in Haiti and a member of Lavalas, disappeared in August 2007. His whereabouts remain unknown and a news article states: "Like many protesters, he [Wilson Mesilien, coordinator of

9700-399: Was genuine. After Aristide was flown out of Haiti, looters raided his villa. Most barricades were lifted the day after Aristide left as the shooting had stopped; order was maintained by Haitian police, along with armed rebels and local vigilantes. Almost immediately after the Aristide family was transported from Haiti, the prime minister of Jamaica , P. J. Patterson , dispatched

9800-518: Was not allowed to travel out of South Africa. In February 2011, Aristide announced that he would return to Haiti within days of the ruling Haitian government removing impediments to him receiving his Haitian passport . On 17 March 2011, Aristide departed for Haiti from his exile in South Africa. U.S. president Barack Obama had asked South African president Jacob Zuma to delay Aristide's departure to prevent him from returning to Haiti before

9900-541: Was overthrown and fled to Paris in exile. The 1843 Constitution was established and Charles Riviere-Hérard was appointed President of Haiti. Under Riviere-Hèrard, the Dominican Republic declared its independence from Haiti. In 1915, the United States Marines , led by Admiral William B. Caperton , entered Port-au-Prince and began the United States occupation of Haiti . The U.S. took over

10000-509: Was to be held in 2012 but was not called. The last election of the Chamber of Deputies was held on 28 November 2010 with run-off elections on 20 March 2011. The next regular election of Deputies is to be held in 2014. Prior to a 2002 territorial law which created a tenth department , the Chamber of Deputies had eighty three seats and the Senate had twenty-seven. The legal system is based on

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