Mr. Martelly does not have such an impact on the population because he is seen so many times with children going to schools, with farmers planting banana trees in mud, with fans walking the streets toward the faculty of Ethnology, and even on stages singing like birds and whining like he is possessed by Bwav Gede.

To the people, he is just a modest guy who is the President of their country and they love the heck out of the way he proudly wears his pink outfits.

The people knew who they voted; it would be a miracle to idolize him when they knew for a fact he would having hard times disassociating with his disorderly musical background.

Recently, the Haitian media reported that at many instances he had used swearing words when he could not get his way with some members of the parliament. That same media reported he led a band of bandits that threw rocks at the students of the Faculty of Ethnology.

There is no surprise to that, Martelly always speaks his mind and he always does whatever Martelly wants to do; he used degrading words when talking about Lavalas and he even promised he would jail Preval if he ever became President. Today, he is President but he is yet to deliver on such a promise.

Not too long ago, he got on stage to perform the way Haitians knew him best for; better and faster than Gran Brigit. Nothing to blame him for; he just cannot leave behind who he is and he refuses to pretend to be somebody he would never be; a man of great persona as a President ought to be.

He is true to himself, he is not a chameleon; he is today what he was then, he will always call the pig by his name, and will certainly shower with pigs if needs be. He will not hide behind a tie and a suit to portray himself as a goody-two-shoes, which would be going against all that made him who or what he is today.

Mr. Martelly builds his pentacle on Sweet Mickey’s legacy. He earns respect as a musician by posing in clothes in which he felt comfortable and he continues to amaze Haitians using the same precepts that made him well-know.

Respect for Mr. Martelly because he does not dress like peasants to gain their vote but to remind all Haitians, regardless of education, positional leadership, locations, etc. that it is now the time to contribute toward the build back of Haiti.

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However, who the bloody hell care; the Haitian parliament or the people of Haiti?

Obviously, the Haitian parliament cares; they care so much that a senatorial investigation commission has been formed with the diligent mission to obtain evidence of the President’s betrayal of Haiti.

No one needs to have a law background to know that a passport contains someone’s personal data and in accordance with the Privacy Act Statement of 1974, institutions are prohibited from releasing personal data to third parties, unless requested in writing by the owner of such personal data.

While the commission is compiling documents to build a case, the president has been visiting countries in order to take measures to redress the shattered economy of the country. He has been proving himself to be an instrument of change and a bearer of hopes.

Obviously, Mr. Martelly is bringing the smile of hopes on the people’ faces so much it is forthright and fair to wonder whether the people give a damn about their president’s questionable personalities or whether he is Haitian, Italian, or American; they just see him as their President; not a darn thing else.

Because he is accused of violating the Haitian constitution, such a matter automatically becomes public interest because, according to various notions of social justice, public interest promotes positive common well-being and general welfare. The public has the right to know; they took a leap of faith on Mr. Martelly and thus entitled to be told the truth and nothing but the truths about their president’s past and current endeavors.

If these zealous and zestful investigations happen to reveal or to confirm that Martelly is a foreigner, he will be eligible for destitution or impeachment and may be taken before the Haitian justice system for fraud and for inflicting moral damages to the nation.

However, will the people [the people who had voted Martelly, the people whose children are currently attending school ‘gratis ti cheri,” the people who feel for once somebody is talking their language and is walking several miles in their shoes] sit there and do nothing while a few good men would be attempting to deny them the freedom they have been dreaming for ages.

As Bill Clinton had said about Martelly, “Finally, a Haitian who knows what he needs.” So, in the event the senatorial investigation team would have succeeded in bringing Mr. Martelly down; who in this diverse pool of politicians has or have the knack to fill Mr. Martelly’s shoes or to take Haiti where Mr. Martelly will be leaving it off.

In the President’s multiple nationality political debates, there is the law that must be respected and the needs of the people that must be fulfilled. Will a decision against the President achieve both? Should Mr. Martelly be found to be at least one of these three nationalities; would the consequences be on the interests of the people of Haiti or on the interests of those who had started the investigation?

Does Martelly’s nationalities political case come out as public Interest or is it in the interests of the nation?

Your answer (s).

The main reason of these enduring political stunts is nothing but the excessive pride of the Duvalierists and the disproportionate arrogance of the Lavalas.

On the right side, Duvalierists feel they were unjustly and unconstitutionally defunct and bringing them back would be simply giving to them what, 25 years ago, belonged to them. It will be respecting the intentions of the Constitutions of 1987, which prescribed the existence of two national forces in Haiti; a police corps and an army called “Forces Armées d’Haiti.” It would also show they still represent a steering force in Haitian politics.

On the left side, Lavalas members are strongly determined to protect the legacy of Jean-Bertrand Aristide because, [besides inventing a new way of committing murders] that deactivation was and continues to be their greatest achievement and they intent to keep it as so.

Bringing back the national force would be a slap on their face; it would show that, according to them, they would be no longer that force whose leader’s demagogic words had drastically impaired Haiti core values.

Their counter message has been that the brought-back of the Haitian army would be a step toward regrouping the Duvalier regime whose had done nothing but violating Haitians’ basic humans rights for almost 30 years.

In the middle are the people who apparently are not being informed nor are they being educated on the responsibilities, duties, and obligations of a national force toward a nation.

The truth about giving or not giving the people their army back does not lay within the government’s incapability to financially afford and sustain an army but about the gridlock between these two groups who both shout their noble cases to the ears of foreign countries like France, Canada, and the United States.

Say; as long as these two groups do not slow down their pride and their arrogance, the question on whether the reactivation of the Haitian army would be a necessity or straight up stupidity will always make international headlines.

Bobb Q Rousseau

As opposed to Liechtenstein in 1868 and Panama in 1994, which respective army abolishment was confirmed by an unanimous parliamentary vote for constitutional change; Aristide did not go through the established chain of leadership in order to obtain a bi-partisan vote; he had selfishly exceeded his presidential boundaries so he could satisfy his personal political agenda, which had led to an Haiti vulnerable to foreign interventions.

Among all other advantages [job creation, restoration of the country’s core values, protection of lives and properties, kicking MINUSTAH out of the country, etc.) the reactivation of the traditional and historic Haiti’s national force will be the comprehensive step toward building a state of law.

It will also show that Haiti has grown two pairs, proving to the world that Haiti is embracing a constitutional way of life and thus it wants to reclaim, earn, and maintain a seat at the concert of great nations.

Haiti needs its army back because that deactivation violated and continues to violate basic human rights of Haitians; it blocks the progress of Haiti and it showed Aristide’s disrespect and disregard of Haitian laws and constitutional institutions.

The deactivation of les “Forces Armées d’Haiti” has been Aristide’s little legacy for over a decade; it is now time to diligently pose acts respecting the constitution instead of persistently fearing to stand up and fight hard for what is right; for what they believe.

Haiti needs its army because its reactivation will be giving to Haitians their rights to freedom back; it will be the brought back of what made foreigners think twice before they decided to use Haiti as their Automated Teller Machines.

It will eliminate rape, sexual exploitation, and genocide coming from the MINUSTAH; it will reduce humiliation and foreign interferences and will make a much world widely marketable Haitian.

Bobb Q Rousseau

Barbie (2001) reports there are about 19 countries with absolutely no government-sponsored military forces whose mission would have been to protect the interests of their people and their respective government.

However, all of these countries, except Haiti, have long standing agreements signed with their former occupying country to assure their defense if they were to be under attacks.

Furthermore, the countries, except Haiti, have and maintain each a highly trained national armed force with military duties and warfare capabilities.

Thus today, if Haiti were to be under attacks, in masses Haitians would have been killed within seconds because no foreign country would come to its defense and there is no trained force to protect lives and properties and to further domestic and foreign policies of the Haitian government.

Haiti needs the reestablishment of its army because the defense of the soil cannot be placed into the hands of the Haitian National Police paramilitary units (SWAT, CIMO, etc.) which are not properly trained in crowd control, warfare, terrorism awareness, survival, peacekeeping missions, national defense, border patrol, etc.

It is Unhaitian to not be all excessively joyful and overly proud about the reactivation of Haiti’s national armed force; a reactivation susceptible of creating jobs, restoring moral values, protecting lives, properties, and the government’s interests.

The next generation of Haitians will judge this current generation because they have stood there and do nothing while MINUSTAH soldiers are raping little boys, sexually exploited women, and impregnating underage girls, while NGOs shooting to take over the land and while the UN gearing toward driving Haitians back into slavery.

Were not the furious motivation of the Haitian army; today Haitians would have been still in shackles, there would have been no 18 November 1803 and there would not have been a Haitian flag.

Bobb Q Rousseau

Through Soldiers, who will be present all the over the country due to remote location assignments, the central government will be able to have a footprint, delegate responsibilities and distribute its services to all Haitians.

Currently, the country’s main federal services such as Immigration, Circulation, Ministries, etc. are centrally located in Port-au-Prince. Soldiers, in concerto with local majors, ASECs, CASECs, delegates, and vice-delegates, may be exercising a managerial eye for the central government, ensuring proper functioning, fiscal responsibility, city’s leadership, and personal accountability.

Haiti needs its army back because such a reactivation may be used as an instrument for job creation. The demobilization/deactivation of the Haitian army in 1994 by Jean Bertrand Aristide and Bill Clinton was the biggest job killer in Haiti. Soldiers were disarmed and sent home with nothing.

Those who had moral values were sent back home to die but with none had no choice other than to convert themselves into Zenglendous, leading to periods of high crimes that went unpunished for over a decade.

Thus, Haiti needs jobs; the baby boomers or youngsters need to have buying powers. Should Haiti get its army back, people will be working, which will boost the economy of the country. The reactivation will also restore peace and order where the Haitian would have no need to steal or kill, or even to do drugs. Haitian army will give Haitians hopes that better days are ahead. It will bring back the pride to be Haitians and the feeling that finally Haitians are contributing durably and sustainably toward the reconstruction of their homeland.

The Reactivation of the Haitian Army can be used as an instrument to protect lives and properties. With the brought back of Aristide, Haiti had known serious lootings where angry Haitians did bear arms to march on to go destroy/burn businesses that had displayed themselves as unfriendly to the Lavalas regime. Worse of all, the government of Aristide did nothing to bring to justice those who gave Haiti a bad reputation; a chimeric, uncivilized, barbarian, and rebellious reputation. Haiti needs its army back so Haitians can reclaim whatever that deactivation had produced.

Last but not least, Haiti needs it army back because it is time to kick MINUSTAH out of the country. Furthermore, MINUSTAH is protecting the government’s interests not the people’. But before kicking them out, they will be used as trainers of the new force and the $750M that France, Canada, and the United States are spending on them every single year can be reprogrammed toward the build up and the train up of a local force that is guaranteed but yet to be protected by the Haitian Constitution of 1987.

From raping little boys to abusing human rights, MINUSTAH is doing everything in Haiti except restoring and keeping the peace. Too bad, the pickets and the Cacos no longer exist; they would have stood up against them like they did against the US Occupation of 1915.

The new Haitian army will be well paid, highly trained, technologically equipped, and morally sound to perform the duties of restoring the peace and order that MINUSTAH, UN, and several NGOs had dramatically disturbed.

The freedom that all Haitians are fighting for can be only brought back with the long overdue reactivation of the Haitian Army.

They can call it anything they want but at the end of the day, Haitians will be referring to it as Haitian army and the people would be proud that finally a government is gearing toward advocating for social justice and the respect of the law.

Of course, the best way for the new Haitian army to be as effective is for the soldiers to not be an instrument at the government’s disposal like it was throughout the 1915-1934 US Occupation of Haiti longing to the Duvalier’s era or until, instead using reason and common sense to reshape it or to call Haitian Soldiers to attention, Aristide decided to get rid of it, leaving a void that the Haitian Police and MINUSTAH will never fill.

The Haitian army is an institution that needs to be brought back so Haitians businesses can be protected 24 hours a day. The Haitian Police will be restructured to be police officers as opposed to being called to pull military duties.

Bobb Q Rousseau

Returning home does not mean that YOU must pack YOUR bags to return to Haiti. We know YOU have obligations toward the country that respects YOUR rights as immigrants. It means that YOU are taking too long to invest YOUR ideas, skills or whatever has YOU into the reconstruction of YOUR homeland.

It means that YOU are taking too long to voice YOUR opinions and YOU are definitively taking too darn long to advocate for we, the locals, who are left with unproductive governments that are having difficulties positioning themselves as authority figures, the International that dictates, orders, and regulates, and a harem of NGOs that portrays us as beggars, illiterates, uncivilized, etc.

The longer YOU stay out; the more grounds YOU are giving them to treat us like red-haired children. Red-aired children we are because we are defenseless and powerless and we have nobody to “walk the walk and to talk the talk” for us.

YOU amuse YOURSELVES saying that we are resilient. How can we be resilient if we own nothing to help us recover? Have YOU taken the time to check out the definition of “resilient”? Resilient means “being able to weather tribulation without cracking.” We are telling YOU right now that we had lost the knack and the strength to stand up on our feet a decade ago and we are cracking in many small pieces. If YOU wait too long to return, nothing will be left of us when YOU finally return or if YOU ever return.

We need more than YOU waving the Haitian flag to show the world that YOU are proud to be Haitians. Don’t only show YOUR pride; act YOUR pride by putting YOUR best foot forward.

We need more than YOU transferring money to us and we are tired that YOU screen our calls whenever YOU don’t have money to send to us.

It is 2012, we are still alone and we need YOU now. JUST GET here before we become the International’s b#@$%. YOUR return is long overdue. GET HERE NOW!!!

Bobb Q Rousseau

]]> http://pageonemag.com/2012/02/diaspora-we-the-locals-want-you-back-home/feed/ 27 http://pageonemag.com/2012/02/michel-martelly-the-political-system-and-the-amendment-of-constitution/ http://pageonemag.com/2012/02/michel-martelly-the-political-system-and-the-amendment-of-constitution/#comments Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:41:06 +0000 Bobb Q Rousseau http://pageonemag.com/?p=8867 The disaccord between President Martelly and the Haitian political system are deeply rooted in Haiti’s way of doing things and a solution is not yet in sight.

It is obvious that a good neighbor politic between Executive and Congress is still to come and thus for another time, the future of Haitian politic is uncertain.

Ironically, the Haitian political system is launching jabs and punches at Mr. Martelly’s best business practices, qualifying him of lacking ethics, good judgment, personalities, etc.

Haitian politicians shout proudly and loudly that Mr. Martelly is inexperienced, disrespectful, selfish, and he is a real disappointment to the country, all meshed with his immaturity politic and his disregard toward moral principles.

Granted; but it was not a stroke of lighting that placed Mr. Martelly as President of Haiti. These politicians must stop to wonder and possibly provide the answer to “How did Mr. Martelly arrive to be President of Haiti?

The answer may be as easy as it may be simple “The traditional politic favored their own pockets over the people of Haiti and the people lost faith that they were, are, or will be up to any good.”

Thus, the actual political system; better yet, the political greed of the current class of politicians had driven the people to place their bet on somebody new.

Take this as the truth if you will; both Mr. Martelly and this current political class will artisan the disappearing acts or the sad failures of these actual politicians.

The Haitian politic is strangled by a nauseating democracy where moral values and criteria of eligibility are stepped six feet under because in the aftermath of the Duvaliers “each Haitian feels he has the Be, Know, Do, and How to be President,” resulting in an excessive equality leading toward a political demagogy.

Still today, instead of working toward a compromise in order to amend the Haitian constitution of 1987 [a constitution impairing national progress], politicians are fighting to interject their personal objectives into it so it [the amendment] can benefit them, project their progenitors and their progenies.

The name of the Haitian Diaspora and the term of “dual citizenship” are being thrown here and there in the Constitution to benefit one from being impeached or allow others to elevate corruption to stardom.

Understandably, nobody dares uttering a word about this matter [neither the media not the politicians] because Haitians are more foreigners than they are Haitians and most of Haitian politicians have their residency somewhere overseas.

It makes common sense there are circumstances where the Haitian, due to political fears, repressions, and even financial hardships, had to make the choice to acquire another citizenship; those who had fallen into such a dilemma should be allowed to return home to serve in politics [if they wish] but under the sole condition they renounces to their foreign citizenship.

Any constitutional clause admitting “dual citizenship in Haiti” will be nothing but a dramatic calamity. It will impact the country at the same rate the earthquake of 12 January 2010 had impacted Haitians.

Written by Richard Ambroise. Translated from French by Page Une Magazine

CECOYA FM 90.7 and Ana-Boyekyo 96.3 FM team up together in order to vehicle educative information as well as to make a bigger impact on the city of Léogâne and its outlying communities.

This partnership is proof that Leoganais are bound to work together and that two heads are better than one.

CECOYA FM is owned by Bobb Q Rousseau and operated by CECOYA. Ana-Boyekyo is owned by Alteau Jean Baptiste. Both have for mission to utilize the power of communications as a weapon to educate and inform the local population.

For more information about this partenership, feel free to visit www.cecoya.com

Page One

It is not a scam; it is so true and in fact, such a situation is making national headlines as you are reading this post.

For what it is worth, your bank is not mismanaging your money or some employees did not steal so much that banks are having difficulties giving us some or all of our money upon requests.

This is what happens. Due to my lack of knowledge in Economic Sciences, I will have hard times making you fully understand the reasons behind Haitian banks not holding to their part of the bargain. I will not be using any technical terms to prove my point; I will use simple words; hopefully, you will grasp the main idea.

Okay, for people like us, money is this paper thing we carry in our pocket and ready to be cashed as fast as we crave for something but for big companies, money is a promissory note between a certain organization and its bank. It is a [negotiable bond] that states how much money an organization has and can spend whether in its home country or overseas.

Confusing; is not it? This is what I was trying to say. When an NGO says it has $1M to spend toward Haiti Earthquake Recovery; this organization is not really taking $1M to Haiti. In fact, it goes to Haiti with a piece of paper backed by the full faith and credit of its government treasury.

When it arrives in Haiti, it presents its piece of paper to any bank in Haiti, which will be more than willing to advance as much as Cash it needs to continue with its humanitarian efforts.

As such, NGOs are taking so much money against their bonds that Haitian bank reserves get depleted quickly and in a hurry, resulting in Haitians being turned down for money until their respective bank cashes NGOs’ savings bonds.

Since bonds, although worldly negotiable, must be exchanged by the issuing country, Haitians banks are then summoned to send these bonds to the issuing country in order to be converted into money as people like us know it. You see how long it can be before the actual money makes it to Haiti so it can be placed back into circulation?

Additionally, don’t assume money transfers you make to your loved ones really arrive in Haiti within minutes; they arrive in Haiti as Bonds, against which banks have no issues paying because the principal along with interests will never be lost due to changes in the financial markets.

What we see in Haiti right now is that businessmen and NGOs have more “actual paper money” than banks and the government, which lead to the shortage in local and foreign currencies in circulation in Haiti.

Okay, do you understand what I was trying to convey to you? Anyway, don’t be surprised if your bank denies your request to withdraw money from your own account. Instead, depending on the amount, they may elect to give it to you in installments.

Page One Magazine