No, that’s not a joke.
Haiti’s parliament became powerless Monday as the terms of most legislators expired while a political impasse kept the country from holding new elections. The legislative impasse comes a day after the largest march yet against President for Life Jean-Bertrand Aristide, compounding the turmoil that has engulfed this Caribbean island in recent months.
The legislative dilemma is rooted in disputed elections held in May 2000. The opposition has refused to participate in new elections unless Aristide resigns. He has refused. Out of the 27-seat senate, four senators’ terms expired Monday. Eight had previously resigned, leaving just 15 members. In addition to the senate, all 83 members of the Chamber of Deputies’ terms expired. "The government will continue. Aristide will not govern by executive decree," said Sen. Clones Lans, whose term expired. "But elections are important. We cannot continue indefinitely without a parliament." The senate can continue meeting with a 14-member quorum but no new laws will be passed and no pending loans can be ratified. The new budget was passed before the legislators’ terms expired. Former senator and opposition leader Paul Denis said the legislative crisis is the latest blow to Aristide’s embattled administration. "The moment of Aristide’s fall from power is approaching," Denis said. "There is no parliament, but he and his government intend to rule in spite of their illegality."
Let’s ship the Haitian government to Liberia and the Liberian "government" to Haiti. I bet it doesn’t make a a bit of difference.
Aristide is the country’s first freely elected leader who won by a landslide but was overthrown in a coup in 1991. He was restored in a 1994 U.S. invasion but forced to step down in 1996 due to a term limit. He won his second term in 2000 and he says he plans to serve out his term until 2006. He is barred at the present time from running for a third term until he changes that law too.
Is there not one capable, reasonably honest man in Haiti?
| That's the bad part about having to go with the lesser of two evils. You're still left with an evil. |
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