Link to Article: “Haiti opens debate on proposed constitutional changes”
Haitians are preparing to review a long-awaited draft for a possible new Constitution for their country. During a time of controversy and unrest over different aspects of the government system in Haiti, several changes have been proposed in the new draft.
The primary issue being changed in the new Constitution is the rules regarding presidential terms. Currently, presidents may not serve more than a single term in office. A former raft was presented, opening up the opportunity for presidents to serve two terms, but it was unclear whether the terms could be consecutive. The new draft is believed to allow presidents to serve two terms in a row. Another change being made regards the requirements to run for president. Candidates must live in Haiti for at least 5 years consecutively in order to run. The new draft suggests that candidates must only have “habitual residence” in Haiti, and does not specify a certain length of time. Other changes to the Constitution were also mentioned throughout the article. These include the possibility of obligatory military service once citizens reach the age of 18, changing the prime minister’s position to vice president, combining the current two legislative bodies (the Senate and Chamber of Deputies,) into one single ruling body, and aligning legislator terms with the presidential terms.
Although the new draft seems to provide improvements to the current government in Haiti, some people have called aspects of it “unconstitutional,” claiming it is simply a reach for power from the Haitian president, Jovenel Moise.
This new constitution draft may benefit the Haitian government system, in various ways. With presidents having the opportunity to serve two terms consecutively, it would allow the ability for longer-term plans, as past presidents had difficulty accomplishing their goals within the time of a single term. Historically, Haiti decided that presidential terms may not be served consecutively due to a harsh dictatorship which is experienced in the mid to late 1900s. The law allowing Haitians to run for the presidency, regardless of how long they’ve lived in the country, may also seem to benefit the country. This will open up the presidential races to more candidates, some of which may have experience living abroad in the international community- this may be beneficial to Haiti’s diplomatic relations. Another minor but important change being proposed is the alignment of legislator terms with presidential terms. With the way the country is currently being run, there are constant elections, every 18 months, for new seats in government. Haiti has difficulty maintaining these elections, so moving them together, instead of staggering them, may help the system run more smoothly.
Haiti’s government system is an important factor in this situation. The country, which works as a semi-presidential system, elects a president to look over the majority of issues, as well as a prime minister and legislative body. With new changes being made to the constitution, fundamental aspects of the Haitian government will be affected. Mainly regarding the domestic/state level, the country’s government system and civil duties and expectations will be updated, directly affection Haitian citizens. On the regional level, countries with close proximity and relations to Haiti may be affected as well, although the issue primarily effects the internal country.