Civil society and human rights organizations, signatories to a memorandum dated September 11, 2017, note with "amazement" that the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies voted the draft of the 2017-2018 budget law highlighting that "the economists and other experts agree that this bill will further aggravate the situation of the vulnerable layers and is part of a dynamic of bad governance."

The signatories recall that on 2 September , before the Senate Finance and Economy Committee, "the civil society and human rights organizations had unanimously affirmed that this law was discriminatory and seriously penalized the Haitian population already living in a great precariousness [...]"

For these civil society organizations in general and the human rights sector in particular, this Finance Act clearly states that the issue of human rights is not a priority for the Moïse-Lafontant administration, citing :

• "Illegal taxes and newly created customs duties to achieve the 30% increase planned, will directly affect the poorest;

• The social sector is treated as a poor sector ;

• A pittance is granted to the functioning of the judiciary, in particular the Superior Council of the Judiciary (CSPJ) ;

• The debt service has risen from ten billion three hundred and fifty-two million to fourteen billion one hundred and seventy-nine million ;

• 11 billion one hundred and forty-eight million are devoted to the heading Public Interventions without further precision."

Adding "the president of the republic has nearly 5 billion gourdes for the activities of his caravan without the parliament, the body of control of the actions of the Executive requires any accountability."

The signatories conclude that this ratification "confirms that Parliament does not exercise its power of control and does not work in the interest of the population. This vote is unconstitutional (Article 218 et seq. of the Constitution) and would disqualify the parliamentary function. This law will break the country into the hole of social inequality, misery, great corruption and injustice."

Signatories : Me Gédéon Jean (CARDH), Dr. Jeunne Murjorie Joseph (URAMEL), Pierre Espérance (RNDDH), Me Joseph Maxime (RONY-POHDH) and Jocelyne Colas Noël (CE-JILAP).

HL/ HaitiLibre