Haiti

Country name: conventional long form : Republic of Haiti conventional short form: Haiti local long form: Republique d'Haiti local short form: Haiti Data code: HA Government type: republic National capital: Port-au-Prince Administrative divisions: 9 departments, (departements, singular - departement); Artibonite, Centre, Grand'Anse, Nord, Nord-Est, Nord-Ouest, Ouest, Sud, Sud-Est Independence: 1 January 1804 (from France) National holiday: Independence Day, 1 January (1804) Constitution: approved March 1987, suspended June 1988, most articles reinstated March 1989; in October 1991, government claimed to be observing the constitution; return to constitutional rule, October 1994 Legal system: based on Roman civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Executive branch: chief of state: President Rene Garcia PREVAL (since 7 February 1996) head of government: Prime Minister Rosny SMARTH (since March 1996) cabinet : Cabinet; chosen by the prime minister in consultation with the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 17 December 1995 (next to be held by December 2000); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Rene Garcia PREVAL elected president; percent of vote - Rene Garcia PREVAL 88%, Leon JEUNE 2.5%, Victor BENOIT 2.3% Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale consists of the Senate (27 seats; members serve six-year terms; one-third elected every two years) and the Chamber of Deputies (83 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: Senate - last held 25 June 1995 with reruns on 13 August and runoffs on 17 September (election held for nine seats 6 April 1997; runoffs to be held 25 May 1997 were postponed); Chamber of Deputies - last held 25 June 1995 with reruns on 13 August and runoffs on 17 September (next to be held NA 1999; byelections for two vacant seats were held 6 April 1997; runoffs to be held 25 May 1997 were postponed) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Lavalas Platform 17, FNDC 6, National Alliance for Democracy and Progress 2, RDNP 1, independent 1; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Lavalas Platform 67, FNCD 2, CONACOM 1, PANPRA 1, MRN 2, MKN 1, PROP 1, UPD 2, independents 4, vacant 2 Judicial branch: Court of Appeal (Cour de Cassation) Political parties and leaders: National Front for Change and Democracy (FNCD), Evans PAUL and Turneb DELPE; National Cooperative Action Movement (MKN), Volvick Remy JOSEPH; National Congress of Democratic Movements (CONACOM), Victor BENOIT; Movement for the Installation of Democracy in Haiti (MIDH), Marc BAZIN; National Progressive Revolutionary Party (PANPRA), Serge GILLES; National Patriotic Movement of November 28 (MNP-28), Dejean BELIZAIRE; National Agricultural and Industrial Party (PAIN), Louis DEJOIE; Movement for National Reconstruction (MRN), Rene THEODORE; Haitian Christian Democratic Party (PDCH), Fritz PIERRE; Assembly of Progressive National Democrats (RDNP), Leslie MANIGAT; National Labor Party (PNT), Remy ZAMOR; Mobilization for National Development (MDN), Hubert DE RONCERAY; Democratic Movement for the Liberation of Haiti (MODELH), Francois LATORTUE; Popular Organizations Gathering Power (PROP), Simon JEAN-POIX; Movement for the Organization of the Country (MOP), Gesner COMEAU and Jean MOLIERE; Democratic Unity Confederation (KID), Evans PAUL; National Lavalas Political Organization (OPL), Gerard PIERRE-CHARLES; Open the Gate Party (PLB), Renaud BERNARDIN; Haitian National Democratic Progressive Party (PNDPH), Turneb DELPE; Union of Patriotic Democrats (UPD), Rockefeller GUERRE; Cooperative Action for Economic Liberation (KLE), Leon JEUNE; Generation 2004, Claude ROUMAIN; Alliance for the Liberation and Advancement of Haiti (ALAH), Reynold GEORGES; Lavalas Political Platform or PPL (an alliance of OPL and MOP) [Renaud BERNARDIN]; Haitian Democratic Party (PADEMH), Clark PARENT; National Rally of Democratic Forces (RANFO), Jean Nazaire THIDE, Marino ETIENNE; National Alliance for Democracy and Progress Political pressure groups and leaders: Roman Catholic Church; Confederation of Haitian Workers (CTH); Federation of Workers Trade Unions (FOS); Autonomous Haitian Workers (CATH); National Popular Assembly (APN); Papaye Peasants Movement (MPP) International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, Caricom (observer), CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, OAS, OPANAL, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission : Ambassador Jean CASIMIR chancery: 2311 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 332-4090 through 4092 FAX: [1] (202) 745-7215 consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Miami, New York, and San Juan (Puerto Rico) Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador William Lacy SWING embassy : 5 Harry Truman Boulevard, Port-au-Prince mailing address: P. O. Box 1761, Port-au-Prince telephone: [509] 22-0354, 22-0368, 22-0200, 22-0612 FAX: [509] 23-1641 Flag description: two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and red with a centered white rectangle bearing the coat of arms, which contains a palm tree flanked by flags and two cannons above a scroll bearing the motto L'UNION FAIT LA FORCE (Union Makes Strength)