By Wadner Pierre

This year Haiti will celebrate its two-hundred-seventh anniversary of Battaille de Vertieres Battle of Vertieres) in which the former slaves and colored people proudly defeated the French army and broke the slavery chain. Battaille of Vertieres was the last battle after which Haiti proclaimed its Independence and –became the world’s first Black republic in January 1, 1804. This war to liberate the country and ban slavery cost the lives of about 160,000 slaves, 60,000 French.

Two of the most powerful countries that lead the United Nations today United States and France were opposed to Haiti’s Independence. For them, the Black Republic represented a threat. Slavery, which continued in the southern USA for over half century after Haiti’s revolution, made black people [Africans] into objects – tools that generated huge profits for the masters. Those who survived the French atrocities in Haiti were the most incredible heroes.

Things were worsened for the newly born Nation when France came back and threatened the Haitian government to pay 150 million francs as a compensation of the goods the French colonizers lost during the Battaille of Vertieres and to recognize Haiti’s Independence. Haiti had to borrow money from the French and US banks. Haiti would therefore not be able to build schools, hospital and University, but instead had to pay the former masters for her independence.

By Wadner Pierre
Published by IPS

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Aug 22, 2011 (IPS) - Almost three months since he was sworn in as the country’s president, Michel J. Martelly has already attempted to appoint two prime ministers to guide his government. Bernard Gousse, a minister of justice under the Gérard Latortue dictatorship (2004-2006) and businessman Daniel Rouzier, were both rejected by Haitian lawmakers.

Rouzier was rejected by lower chamber over technicalities. Gousse was rejected by a group of 16 legislators in the Senate because of his appalling human rights record. Under Gousse, the jails were filled with political prisoners - mostly people from poor neighbourhoods where there was strong support for ousted former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

The country is now suffering because there is no prime minister to form a new government to apply the programme of the new president. When he campaigned, Martelly promised to send all Haitian children to school for free. The Haitian people are waiting for him to deliver his promise in September when schools reopen theirs doors.

Martelly needs to have a prime minister approved - a huge challenge without a majority in Parliament - if he has any intention of fulfilling this promise. According to the Haitian Constitution, when the president does not have the majority in the Parliament, he has to choose the prime minister by consulting the presidents of the both chambers. Martelly has already missed two occasions to do so. Some people blame his chief of staff, Thierry Mayard Paul, for his failure, while others say Martelly’s advisers are at fault.

Nouriel Roubini, one of the world's most well-known economists, discusses his take on the current market climate in the Wall Street Journal.

Money quote:

"Karl Marx said it right, at some point capitalism can destroy itself because you cannot keep shifting income from labour to capital without not having an excess capacity and lack of aggregate demand and that's what's happening. We thought that markets work; they're not working...it's a self destructive process."

Article and photo by Wadner Pierre

Did Bishop Louis Kébreau, President of the Haitian Episcopal Conference, call on Haitian President Martelly to be ruthless and dictatorial?

In an article published on August 11 by the Haitian daily Newspaper Le Nouvelliste, Bishop Kébreau, a close friend of President Martelly urged him to put his "Sweet Micky pants on” as to govern the country. Martelly’s administration has essentially not even begun after Parliament refused to accept two of his selections for Prime Minister.

The upper echelons of the Catholic Church in Haiti and the Vatican have a deplorable history of backing repression. The Vatican, virtually alone in the world, recognized the Cedras military dictatorship of 1991-1994. Recent Wikileaks have exposed the Vatican’s behind the scenes encouragement of US efforts to undermine democracy in Haiti prior to the 2004 coup. After the coup, the Vatican openly applauded it by saying there was “nothing to regret” about Aristide’s ouster.

To defend his remarks, Bishop Kébreau said, on Radio Magik 9, that he was misinterpreted and that there was “no question of repression, no question of dictatorship" but he added that "If we continue to undress the President we will go nowhere.”