Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Haiti
conventional short form: Haiti
local short form: Haiti
local long form: Republique d'Haiti
Government type:
elected government
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, with 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 Jean-Bertrand ARISTIDE (since 7 February
2001)
head of government: Prime Minister Yvon NEPTUNE (since 4 March
2002); note - former Prime Minister CHERESTAL resigned in January
2002
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 26 November 2000 (next to be held NA 2005); prime
minister appointed by the president, ratified by the National
Assembly
election results: Jean-Bertrand ARISTIDE elected president; percent
of vote - Jean-Bertrand ARISTIDE 92%
Legislative branch:
bicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale consists of the
Senate (27 seats; members elected by popular vote to 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 for two-thirds of seats 21 May 2000,
with runoffs on 9 July boycotted by the opposition; seven seats
still disputed; election for remaining one-third held on 26 November
2000 (next to be held NA 2002); Chamber of Deputies - last held 21
May 2000, with runoffs on 30 July boycotted by the opposition; one
vacant seat rerun 26 November 2000 (next to be held NA 2004)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by
party - FL 26, independent 1; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote
by party - NA%; seats by party - FL 73, MOCHRENA 3, PLB 2, OPL 1,
vacant 1, other minor parties and independents 3
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Cour de Cassation
Political parties and leaders:
Alliance for the Liberation and Advancement of Haiti or ALAH
[Reynold GEORGES]; Assembly of Progressive National Democrats or
RDNP [Leslie MANIGAT]; Convergence (opposition coalition composed of
ESPACE, OPL, and MOCHRENA) [Gerard PIERRE-CHARLES, Evans PAUL, Luc
MESADIEU, Victor BENOIT]; Democratic Consultation Group coalition or
ESPACE [Evans PAUL, Victor BENOIT] composed of the following
parties: National Congress of Democratic Movements or KONAKOM,
National Progressive Revolutionary Party or PANPRA, Generation 2004,
and Haiti Can; Haitian Christian Democratic Party or PDCH
[Marie-France CLAUDE]; Haitian Democratic Party or PADEM [Clark
PARENT]; Lavalas Family or FL [Jean-Bertrand ARISTIDE]; Mobilization
for National Development or MDN [Hubert DE RONCERAY]; Movement for
National Reconstruction or MRN [Rene THEODORE]; Movement for the
Installation of Democracy in Haiti or MIDH [Marc BAZIN]; Movement
for the Organization of the Country or MOP [Gesner COMEAU and Jean
MOLIERE]; National Cooperative Action Movement or MKN [Volrick Remy
JOSEPH]; National Front for Change and Democracy or FNCD [Evans PAUL
and Turneb DELPE]; New Christian Movement for a New Haiti or
MOCHRENA [Luc MESADIEU]; Open the Gate or PLB [Renaud BERNARDIN];
Struggling People's Organization or OPL [Gerard PIERRE-CHARLES]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Autonomous Haitian Workers or CATH; Confederation of Haitian
Workers or CTH; Federation of Workers Trade Unions or FOS; National
Popular Assembly or APN; Papaye Peasants Movement or MPP; Popular
Organizations Gathering Power or PROP; Roman Catholic Church
International organization participation:
ACCT, ACP, Caricom, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt
(signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW (signatory), PCA, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Chief of Mission Harry
Frantz LEO
consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Miami, New York, and San Juan
(Puerto Rico)
FAX: [1] (202) 745-7215
telephone: [1] (202) 332-4090
chancery: 2311 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador James B. Foley
embassy: 5 Harry S Truman Boulevard, Port-au-Prince
mailing address: P. O. Box 1761, Port-au-Prince
telephone: [509] 222-0354, 222-0368, 222-0200, 222-0612
FAX: [509] 223-1641
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)