Wednesday a delegation of the United Front of the Diaspora, a Haitian organization based in Miami, led by Judge Lionel Jean Baptiste, in tour on Haiti met Yolette Mengual the Director General of the Ministry of Haitian Living Abroad (MHAVE) who was accompanied by technical staff of the Ministry and members of the Cabinet of the acting Minister Stéphanie Auguste.

The United Front of the Diaspora called for the effective integration of compatriots from abroad in all spheres of decision-making and recalled that a document proposing the amendment of more than 50 articles of the Constitution had been submitted in November 2017 to the Special Committee of the Chamber of Deputies on the amendment of the Constitution https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-22775-haiti-politic-constitutional-amendment-the-diaspora-wants-representatives-in-parliament.html

Me Lionel Jean Baptiste addressed among others at this meeting: the enjoyment of civil and political rights of compatriots living outside the country, the creation of a database of Haitian skills in the diaspora, the return of the Haitian nationality to the grandsons of Haitians living abroad to allow them to represent the country in areas such as sport, culture etc... It intends to fight the social exclusion of which is victim, in his eyes the diaspora and wished that the MHAVE has a representative in each consulate or embassy to take the grievances of the diaspora.

Robert Vaval, cabinet member of Minister Auguste believes that the Diaspora has an important role to play in the development of the country. According to him, no development is possible in Haiti without the active participation of the Haitian diaspora at all levels.

For his part, Yolette Mengual emphasized the ongoing projects at MHAVE as: the drafting of a draft law on the census and the participation of the Diaspora in the next elections; the setting up of the Consultative Council of the Diaspora Observatory, a body composed of Technical Directors of the MHAVE and some representatives of Haitian diaspora associations, tasked with drafting legislation on the involvement of the diaspora in all the social, political and economic activities of the country.

Before leaving the country for the United States, the delegation must go to the Primature meet the technical cabinet of the Prime Minister, Lafontant and Parliament to bring the claims of the Diaspora to representatives of both Houses.

See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-22775-haiti-politic-constitutional-amendment-the-diaspora-wants-representatives-in-parliament.html

HL/ HaitiLibre