Commission for Haitian Solution to the Crisis
Forum Société Civile Haïtienne
NOTICE OF LAUNCH
The country has been undergoing a multidimensional crisis for at least three years, with disastrous economic, social and political implications. The living conditions have deteriorated significantly, prompting Haitians to leave the country in search of a decent life. This exodus is not accidental nor the consequence of a natural disaster, but the outcome of disastrous governance. Starting from 2018, the most diverse sectors of society have spoken out against this escalating degradation. Political formulas have succeeded one another, as well as civic demonstrations and popular mobilizations, without being able to trigger the change to which vast majorities ‒ deprived of services and their most basic rights ‒ aspire.
As a result of growing arbitrary action and authoritarianism, insecurity has continued to increase. Armed gangs are joining forces with the blessing of the authorities and operating with their faces uncovered; acts of kidnapping are multiplying; massacres perpetrated inside working-class neighborhoods; sordid crimes committed with impunity; bandits are taking over both public and private spaces; the population feels abandoned by the state, without assistance or recourse.
Due to the dysfunction of the great powers of the State, namely the Executive and the Legislative no elections for the renewal of the country's political staff have been held since the accession to power of Mr. Jovenel Moïse. Nevertheless, he took advantage of this institutional shortcoming, for which he was primarily responsible, to rule by decree and deploy a worrying authoritarianism through decisions with serious consequences for the nation. The issuance of the two decrees, one regarding the National Intelligence Agency, an extra-judicial organization, and the other regarding the strengthening of public security that qualifies simple offenses as acts of terrorism, represents a serious violation of individual and collective freedoms. It is also a case of violation of the basic human rights and contributes to further weaken the rule of law.
In view of the government’s refusal to comply with constitutional imperatives despite massive popular and political mobilizations as well as the political sector’s inability to impose its views with regard to mechanisms of resolution of the crisis, the country is experiencing a political deadlock. From a perspective of change, it is therefore important for us to seek ways and means to rebuild and reestablish our institutions. In the absence of institutions of counter-power, the vital sectors of the country, in a patriotic spirit, are to take action in order to avoid the total collapse of the state and to allow the nation to emerge from this deadlock. As a matter of priority, it is about returning to the normalization of the social and political life as soon as possible via a return to the constitutional order as a guarantee to the functioning of the rule of law and a way to allow citizens to choose their leaders freely and safely in a peaceful atmosphere.
It is in the name of this objective that the Forum of Civil Society Organizations gathered on January 30, 2021 recommended to establish a Commission to work towards a peaceful resolution of the current political and institutional crisis. Based on combined criteria of affiliation to an organized sector of society, notoriety, morality, civic and patriotic commitment, competence and availability, the commission was then established in consultation with various sectors of society. These sectors, in a great display of magnanimity, agreed to contribute to this attempt to find a solution to this crisis, which has already drained the country. As a result, the Commission will devote itself to working together with all the different components of society, including political parties and groupings.
Aware that the active forces must work together to seek a positive historic compromise, conducive to creating conditions for political stability;
Understanding that this stability is essential to put in place a set of projects including the reform of justice, the restoration of security, the revitalization of the economy, socio-political stability, the renewal of political staff;
Convinced that it is necessary to pool energies to ensure a viable consensual solution to this multidimensional crisis;
We, organizations, bodies, institutions and groups of committed civil society, signatories to this note, declare ourselves as stakeholders to these efforts of the Monitoring Committee of the Forum of Civil Society Organizations. We are determined to accompany and support the work carried out by the Commission for a haitian solution to the crisis; composed of as follows 1 :
- Reverend Father Frantz Joseph CASSEUS / Église Épiscopale d’Haïti (Episcopal Church of Haiti)
- Mrs. Monique CLESCA / Independent
- Mrs. Magali COMEAU DENIS / Kolektif Atis Angaje (Collective of Committed Artists)
- Reverend Pastor, Jean Kisomaire DURÉ / Fédération Protestante d’Haïti (Protestant Federation of Haiti)
- Mr. Evens FILS / Fédération des Barreaux d’Haïti (Federation of Haitian Bars)
- Mrs. Magalie GEORGES / Collectif des Syndicats Haïtiens pour le respect de la Constitution
(Collective of Haitian Trade Unions for the Respect of the Constitution)
- Mr. Louis Joël JOSEPH / Plateforme des Organisations Paysannes 4G-Kontre (Platform of
Farmers' Organizations 4G-Kontre)
1 It is understood that the Commission remains open to representatives of other key sectors of civil society who understand the merits of this approach and who express a desire to participate in it.
- Mrs. MANIGAT / Plateforme des Organisations Féministes (Platform of Women's Organizations)
- Mr. Maxime RONY / Plateforme des Organisations Haïtiennes des Droits de l’Homme(Platform of Haitian Human Rights Organizations)
- Mr. Ted SAINT-DIC / Independent
- Mr. Wilfrid SAINT-JUSTE / Voodoo Sector
- Mr. Michel A. PEAN
- A representative of the Haitian Forum for Peace and Sustainable Developpement (To Designer)
We solemnly commit to work actively with the Commission in order to enable the Haitian Nation, speaking through one voice, to find a solution to this devastating crisis. We call on the Haitian people to give their full support to this initiative taken with the sole purpose of defending their interests and those of the country.
Done at Port-au-Prince, May 10, 2021
For authentication of the signatures of the organizations that support the process.
Monitoring committee
Edouard PAULTRE /Coalition des Acteurs de la Société Civile (CASC) (Coalition of Civil Society Actors)
Jean-Marie Raymond NOEL /Comité d’Union et de Support aux Municipalités (CUSM) (Union and Support Committee for Municipalities)
Myrtha DÉSULMÉ / Forum Haïtien pour la Paix et le Développement Durable (FOHPDD) (Haitian Forum for Peace and Sustainable Developpement)
Marc DORVIL / Collectif des Syndicats Haïtiens pour le respect de la Constitution (COSHARCO) (Collective of Haitian Trade Unions for the Respect of the Constitution)
Bonivert CLAUDE / Croisade pour le Développement et le Progrès d’Haïti (CDPH)(Crusade for the Development and Progress of Haiti)
Sylvain EXANTUS / Fondation Rédemption Haïti (FRH)(Redemption Haiti Foundation) James BELTIS / Nou Pap Dòmi (NPD) (We are not sleeping)
Additional organizational endorsements are available here.