Senator Willot Joseph (PHTK) (elected in Nov. 2016, end of term 2022) asks President Jovenel Moïse to extend by 2 years the term of office that expires in January 2020 for 10 senators : Antonio Cheramy (VERITE), Évalière Beauplan (PONT), Nawoon Marcélus (BOUCLIER), Jacques Sauveur Jean (PHTK), Carl Murat Cantave (AAA), Wilfrid Gélin (PHTK), Ricard Pierre (Pitit Dessalines), Hervé Fourcand (PHTK), Saurel Jacinthe (INITE) and Francener Dénius (VERITE).

Senator Willot Joseph asserts that the 4 year term of these 10 senators is not legal under Article 95 of the amended Constitution which states :

Article 95 : "Senators are elected for six (6) years and are indefinitely re-eligible. They take office the second Monday of January following their elections.

In the event that the elections can not be completed before the second Monday in January, the elected senators shall take office immediately after the validation of the ballot and their six (6) year term is deemed to have begun on the second Monday of January of the year of the entry into office."

In addition, he reminded the Head of State that as a guarantor of the proper functioning of the institutions, it is important to avoid an institutional vacuum in the Senate while the lower house will no longer sit for lack of members (in the absence of elections). Moreover, he does not hesitate to imply that this extension of the mandates is the condition allowing to facilitate the ratification in the Senate of the new Government of Fritz William Michel already ratified in the Chamber of Deputies https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-28661-haiti-flash-missed-attempt-76-deputies-vote-in-favor-of-the-pm.html

See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-28693-haiti-politic-parliamentary-holidays-without-return.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-28669-haiti-flash-full-text-of-the-general-policy-of-pm-michel-official.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/article-28661-haiti-flash-tentative-ratee-76-deputes-votent-en-faveur-du-pm.html

TB/ HaitiLibre