Reacting to the vote of non-confidence Monday, March 18 in the Chamber of Deputies against the Prime Minister Céant https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-27219-haiti-flash-haiti-has-no-more-government.html and the various interpretations and other unsubstantiated claims about the validity of this vote, the constitutional expert Mirlande Manigat specifies.

Regarding the assertion of several senators including Youri Latortue who believes that Jean Henry Céant is still Prime Minister and the Senate precedence over the Chamber of Deputies in this matter, Mirlande Manigat recalls that in the Constitution "there is equality of power between the Senate and the lower house."

Regarding Prime Minister Céant's assertion that he is not present in the lower house, that this vote does not concern him and that he is not an outgoing Prime Minister because he is still Head of Government in office https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-27220-haiti-flash-the-pm-ignores-the-vote-of-no-confidence-of-the-deputies-and-remains-in-office.html , Mirlande Manigat says that the absence of the Prime Minister at the time of the vote of no confidence is not important "The presence of the Prime Minister was not essential" adding that the result of the vote of the Senate (in principle this Wednesday, March 17), during the interpellation of the Prime Minister, whether it is a vote of confidence or no confidence "will not cancel the decision of the deputies".

For Manigat, "Contrary to the statements of Jean-Henry Céant, I say he is a fallen Prime minister. The lower chamber is in its right [...]"

A situation that risks creating an unprecedented political crisis if the vote of both houses is contradictory, because the Constitution does not provide what must be done in the case of the interpellation of a person or entity at the same time time by both Houses of Parliament.

See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-27220-haiti-flash-the-pm-ignores-the-vote-of-no-confidence-of-the-deputies-and-remains-in-office.html

TB/ HaitiLibre