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Jean-Bertrand Aristide

Jean-Bertrand Aristide

Jean-Bertrand Aristide (born July 15, 1953) is a Haitian politician and former Roman Catholic priest who was President of Haiti in 1991, from 1994 to 1996, and again from 2001 to 2004. Aristide was the first democratically elected leader of Haiti and a friend of the poor. Critics claim that he became dictatorial and corrupt once in power, and was unpopular enough to be twice overthrown, first in a military coup (September 1991) and subsequently in a rebellion in which former soldiers prominently participated (February 2004). After his second ouster, he maintained from exile in South Africa that he was still the legal and legitimate president and that U.S. forces had kidnapped him.

Education and church career

Aristide was born in Port-Salut, Haiti. He was educated at schools in Port-au-Prince and at the College Notre Dame, graduating in 1974. He then took a course of novitiate studies in La Vega before returning to Haiti to study philosophy at the Grand Seminaire Notre Dame and psychology at the State University of Haiti. After completing his post-graduate studies in 1979, he travelled in Europe, studying in Italy and Israel. Aristide returned to Haiti in 1983 for his ordination. He was appointed curate of a small parish in Port-au-Prince and then a larger one in the La Saline slums, gaining the affectionate Creole nickname "Titide" or "Titid" (tiny Aristide). An exponent of liberation theology, he became a leading figure in the more radical wing of the Catholic faith in Haiti (the ti legliz — from the Haitian Creole for "little church"), broadcasting his sermons on the national Catholic radio station. The Duvalier regime tried repeatedly to silence him. Only the collapse of the regime in April 1986 saved him. In September 1988, Aristide was expelled from his Salesian order for "incitement to hate and violence (and) the exaltation of class struggle." [http://www.cnn.com/resources/newsmakers/world/namerica/aristide.html] In 1995 Aristide left the priesthood. In 1996 he married Mildred Trouillot, a U.S. citizen, with whom he had two daughters.

First presidency and coup

Following the violence at the abortive national elections of 1987, the 1990 polls were approached with caution. Aristide announced his candidacy for the presidency and following a six-week campaign, during which he dubbed his followers "Lavalas" — "the flood" or "torrent" in Haitian Creole — the "little priest" was elected President with 67 percent of the vote. Aristide took office on February 7, 1991, becoming Haiti's second democratically elected leader (see Leslie Manigat). Like Manigat, he was forced out of office after less than a year: on September 30, 1991 a military coup d'état forced Aristide to flee. A large-scale exodus of boat people ensued. The United States Coast Guard rescued a total of 41,342 Haitians during 1991 and 1992, more than the number of rescued refugees from the previous 10 years combined. Aristide spent his basic exile in Venezuela and then in the United States, working hard to develop international support. Under U.S. and international pressure, the military regime backed down and U.S. troops were deployed in the country. On October 15, 1994, Aristide returned to Haiti to complete his term in office. Military rule had dealt a strong blow to Haiti's weak economy and much of Aristide's time was taken with economic measures. He also purged the Haitian army of many School of the Americas trained officers and established a civilian police force. In the Assemblée Nationale elections of June 1995, a multi-party coalition, the Organisation Politique Lavalas (OPL) won a convincing victory. Aristide's first term ended in February 1996, and the constitution did not allow him to serve consecutive terms. There was some dispute over whether Aristide should serve the three years he had lost in exile prior to new elections, or whether his term in office should instead be counted strictly according to the date of his inauguration; under U.S. pressure, it was decided that the latter should be the case. René Préval, a prominent ally of Aristide and Prime Minister since 1991 under Aristide, ran during the 1995 presidential election and took 88% of the vote. This marked the first time in Haitian history that there was a peaceful and democratic transition of power.

Second presidency and rebellion

In late 1996, Aristide broke from the OPL and created a new political party, the Fanmi Lavalas. The OPL, holding the majority in the Sénat and the Chambre des Députés, renamed itself the Organisation du Peuple en Lutte, maintaining the OPL acronym. Elections in April 1997 for the Senate drew only about 5 percent of registered voters and were plagued with allegations of fraud, the Préval government refused to accept the results. New elections in May 2000 occurred for almost the entire Assemblée Nationale. Opposition-owned radio stations reported turnout of around 10%, but election officials and international observers reported around 60% turnout. The FL won a sweeping victory, but the methods used by the Conseil Electoral Provisoire (CEP) in counting the votes were rejected by opposition parties, which united as the Convergence Democratique (CD) and demanded that the elections be ignored. Aristide won the presidential election in November 2000 with 91.8% of the vote. Most of the opposition parties boycotted this election, claiming that they had no fair chance. After the election, the Organization of American States issued a report that the election was unfair and that the methodology for counting votes was flawed. Aristide supporters have claimed that the OAS report was engineered by the U.S. solely based on hostility to the president's policies. They also have questioned why the organization waited until after the election results to challenge the methodology, saying it was aware of the vote-counting process beforehand. The International Organization of Independent Observers, a private volunteer organization, reported that the election went over smoothly and they witnessed no irregularities. [http://www.quixote.org/haiti/elections/Election_Press_Release_22may2000.html] However, the majority of Western governments claimed the election was blatantly rigged. In response, the Clinton administration worked with the European Union to block a $500 million loan from the Inter-American Development Bank to Haiti, fearing that Aristide's government was corrupt and the money would go to waste. On February 7, 2001, Aristide was sworn in for his second term as President of Haiti. That same day, the CD swore in Gerard Gourgue as head of a new provisional government. Aristide agreed to reform the CEP, but he did not include any supporters of the opposition in the new body. Jean-Marie Cherestal was made the new Prime Minister in March 2001. The CD rejected both changes and in response the Government tried to have Gourgue arrested. The economy suffered as political control stalled. Aristide made moves to placate the opposition — in June 2001 certain senators holding contested seats resigned — but talks between the FL and the CD repeatedly failed. There was an attempted coup in mid-December 2001 and Cherestal resigned in January 2002, as the economy continued to slump. Due to the objections of the opposition, elections were not held as scheduled in late 2003, and consequently the terms of most legislators expired in January, forcing Aristide to rule by decree. He promised to organize elections within six months, but the opposition refused to accept anything less than Aristide's resignation. In 2004 attacks and threats continued against journalists who criticised President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. The climate of terror was sustained by the continuing impunity in the cases of two murdered journalists. Aristide extended his control over television but radio continued to be the most popular news media. The situation deteriorated steadily throughout the year. President Jean-Bertrand Aristide clung to power by relying on gang-members known as "chimères," organised into militia known as "popular organisations" with the task for sustaining a climate of terror in the ranks of the opposition and the press. His regime was further discredited by the appearance of "Special Brigades, " a parallel police force which, like the "Tontons Macoutes" under the Duvaliers (1957-86) and the "Attachés" under Gen. Cédras (1991-94), did the regime’s dirty work (torture and executions) and extorted money from the population. Like the dictators he had fought in the past, Aristide, the former shantytown priest, cracked down in response to protest. Several dozen people were killed or wounded by chimères during demonstrations calling for his departure that steadily increased in size. The press was also the victim of violence. Reporters Without Borders registered some 30 cases of attacks or threats against journalists in 2003, and this was not exhaustive. Aristide's opponents continued to accuse him of being corrupt and of using violence to attack political opponents. He maintained close ties not only to the Haitian police force, but also to street gangs such as the "Cannibal Army." [http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/H/HAITI?SITE=DCTMS&SECTION=HOME]. His government built parks and facilities for the gangs in exchange for cooperation with his government. After the assassination of the leader of the Cannibal Army, Amiot Metayer, who had begun committing excessive acts of violence, that gang turned solidly against Aristide and joined the opposition. In January 2004, political violence between Aristide supporters and supporters of the opposition escalated sharply, and on February 5, 2004, a rebel group calling itself the Revolutionary Artibonite Resistance Front seized control of Haiti's fourth-largest city, Gonaïves, marking the beginning of a major revolt against Aristide. By February 22, the rebels had captured Haiti's second-largest city, Cap-Haïtien, and effectively split Haiti between a rebel-held north and a government-held south. The rebellion, led by former Cap-Haïtien police chief Guy Philippe, has been referred to as a "military coup" by Aristide's lawyer, who claimed that the heavy weaponry used by the rebels were shipped in from the Dominican Republic [http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/02/25/1613200]. As the end of February approached, rebels continued to advance to within miles of the capital, Port-au-Prince.

Departure from Haiti

In the early morning of February 29, 2004, after being harshly condemned by the governments of France and the United States, Aristide flew on a US-dispatched airplane to the Central African Republic. The circumstances surrounding this flight are a matter of controversy. According to a Washington Times, article of April, 2004 :Mr. Aristide, who accuses the United States and France of conspiring to force him out of power, filed a lawsuit in Paris last week accusing unnamed French officials of "death threats, kidnapping and sequestration" in connection with his flight to Africa. :The Bush administration insists that Mr. Aristide had personally asked for help and voluntarily boarded a U.S. plane. "He drafted and signed his letter of resignation all by himself and then voluntarily departed with his wife and his own security team," Mr. Powell said. [http://www.washtimes.com/world/20040406-124703-4585r.htm] Many media sources reported that Aristide had resigned and been refused asylum by South Africa. On March 1, 2004, US Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), along with Randall Robinson, a family friend of the Aristides, each reported that Aristide had told them using a smuggled cellular telephone that he had been forced to resign against his will by United States diplomats and Marines, and that he was abducted against his will, and continued to be held hostage by an undisclosed armed military guard. [http://www.democracynow.org/index.pl?issue=20040301], [http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20040229/ts_nm/haiti_usa_dc_13] When asked whether Aristide was guarded in the Central African Republic by French officers, the French Defense Minister answered that Aristide was protected, not imprisoned, and that he would leave when he could; and that France had many officers present in the Central African Republic following the recent events in that country, but that they did not control Aristide's comings and goings [http://www.defense.gouv.fr/actualites/communiques/2004/i020304/020304.htm]. Both Maxine Waters and United States congressman Charles Rangel, [http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040301/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/us_haiti_20] who also reported talking to Aristide via cellular telephone, said that Aristide said he had not been handcuffed while being led away, while the Agence France Press reported that the caretaker at Aristide's house claimed that Aristide had been handcuffed and led away at gunpoint.[http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ft/20040302/bs_ft/1077690805324]. Other reports of Aristide being led away by heavily armed American troops have been made by an Aristide bodyguard and an Orthodox missionary [http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/story.jsp?story=497303]. Aristide told CNN that there were unidentified civilian Americans and Haitians who had forced him to resign and board the plane leaving Haiti. [http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20040302/ts_nm/haiti_aristide_kidnap_dc_9] The United States vice-president Dick Cheney and Secretary of State Colin Powell both reported that Aristide had resigned willingly [http://washingtontimes.com/upi-breaking/20040302-024937-3556r.htm], [http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1078139090204&call_pageid=968332188492&col=968705899037]. The Associated Press reported that the Central African Republic tried to get Aristide to stop repeating his charges to the press [http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/20040302-1154-aristideexile.html]. Aristide has further alleged that the resignation statement that is being touted was altered to remove a conditional statement in which he stated,"'If I am obliged to leave in order to avoid bloodshed." [http://www.reuters.co.uk/printerFriendlyPopup.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=467806]; this was confirmed by a Reuters translation of Aristide's original statement, which matches up word for word except for the one line, in which the conditional has been removed. On 14 March 2004, he left the Central African Republic for Jamaica, to the dismay of the French and American governments, who felt that his presence in the area would have a destabilizing effect on Haiti. The American ambassador to Haiti, James Foley, issued a warning to Aristide to stay at least 150 miles away from Haiti at all times. Condoleezza Rice is reported to have said that she did not want him in the Western Hemisphere. [http://www.cbc.ca/thecurrent/2004/200403/20040316.html] Lawrence Wilkerson, former chief of staff to Colin Powell, also commented on Aristide in an interview with Amy Goodman: :AMY GOODMAN: Why say that the president, Aristide, had an obsession with power? This was a man who was the democratically elected president of Haiti, certainly got a higher percentage of the vote than President Bush got in this country. :COL. LAWRENCE WILKERSON: Please, don't refer to the percentage of vote as equatable to democracy, as equatable to the kinds of institutions we have reflecting democracy in America.[http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/11/22/1515240] After arriving in Jamaica, Aristide gave a full interview, in which he claimed the following specifics (note: The US has neither confirmed nor denied these details, but has insisted that Aristide left willingly): He had met with US ambassador James Foley on February 28, 2004 — the day before the rebels were supposed to attack the capital. Foley agreed that Aristide should go on national television to appeal to the nation to remain calm, as he had done the night before. When he arrived at his residence, it was surrounded by "thousands" of troops, mostly Americans, which made him feel intimidated. The Americans told him they would provide him security as they escorted him to the media; however, instead, they took him straight to a white unmarked airplane with a US flag on the side. He was then obliged to board, followed by US troops in full gear who changed into civilian clothes once on board. On board were his wife and 19 members of Steele Foundation, a private military company. Aristide's account was directly backed up by two witnesses: a pilot and Aristide aide, Franz Gabriel; and an American security guard on the security detail, who told the Washington Post about the subterfuge to lure Aristide away: "That was just bogus. It's a story they fabricated." [http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A61549-2004Mar15] On May 31, 2004, Aristide and his family flew to Johannesburg, South Africa, along with US Congressmen from the Congressional Black Caucus. South Africa characterized his stay as "temporary". One year after his departure from Haiti several high ranking members of his government have been arrested or convicted for drug trafficking by the U.S. Government. Including the Airport Director and Head of Palace Security. Many have implicated Aristide however no charges have been filed against the former President.

See also


- Roland Perusse, historian

References


- Demos, Telis (Nov. 14, 2005). "Carribean Chaos". Fortune, p. 32.

External links


- [http://news.google.com/news?q=jean-bertrand%20aristide&svnum=10&hl=en&lr=&sa=N&tab=in Google News Coverage - Jean-Bertrand Aristide]
- [http://www.democracynow.org/static/haiti.shtml Democracy Now! coverage of Aristide's ouster (text/audio/video)]
- [http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0413-08.htm CommonDreams]: the US and France denies Aristide's charges; but block UN probes
- [http://www.freedomhouse.org/research/freeworld/2003/countryratings/haiti.htm Haiti's "freedom rating"]
- [https://listhost.uchicago.edu/mailman/listinfo/haiti-news Haiti-news list] News from Haiti
- Naomi Klein, The Guardian, July 18, 2005, [http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,1530646,00.html "6/7: the massacre of the poor that the world ignored: The US cannot accept that the Haitian president it ousted still has support"]
- [http://www.lrb.co.uk/v26/n08/farm01_.html Paul Farmer, Who Removed Aristide?] London Review of Books 15 April 2004
- [http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Haiti/Who_Is_Aristide.html] Who Is Aristide by Paul Farmer in The use of Haiti
- [http://www.cooperativeresearch.org/timeline.jsp?timeline=the_2004_removal_of_jean-bertrand_aristide Timeline of events relating to Jean-Bertrand Aristide.] Aristide, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, Jean-Bertrand ja:ジャン＝ベルトラン・アリスティド

July 15

July 15 is the 196th day (197th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 169 days remaining.

Events


- 1099 - First Crusade: Christian soldiers take Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem after a difficult siege.
- 1207 - John of England expels Canterbury monks for supporting Archbishop of Canterbury Stephen Langton
- 1381 - John Ball, a leader in the Peasants' Revolt, hanged, drawn and quartered in the presence of Richard II of England.
- 1410 - Battle of Grunwald (a.k.a. Tannenberg or Zalgiris): power of the Teutonic Knights broken by a defeat from Poles and Lithuanians
- 1685 - James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth is executed at Tower Hill, England after his defeat at the Battle of Sedgemore on 6 July 1685.
- 1789 - Gilbert du Motier, marquis de La Fayette, by acclamation, named colonel-general of the new National Guard of Paris.
- 1799 - Rosetta Stone is found in the Egyptian village of Rosetta, by French Captain Pierre-François Bouchard.
- 1806 - Pike expedition: Near St. Louis, Missouri, United States Army Lieutenant Zebulon Pike begins an expedition from Fort Belle Fountaine to explore the west.
- 1815 - Napoléon Bonaparte surrenders from aboard HMS Bellerophon
- 1862 - American Civil War: Confederates break naval blockade of Vicksburg, Mississippi.
- 1870 - Post-American-Civil-War Reconstruction: Georgia becomes the last of the former Confederate states to be readmitted to the Union.
- 1870 - Rupert's Land and the North-Western Territory are transferred to Canada from the Hudson's Bay Company, and the province of Manitoba and the North-West Territories are established from these vast territories.
- 1895 - Archie MacLaren scores County Championship record cricket innings of 424 for Lancashire against Somerset at Taunton.
- 1916 - In Seattle, Washington, William Boeing and George Conrad Westervelt incorporate Pacific Aero Products (later renamed Boeing).
- 1918 - World War I: Second Battle of the Marne - The battle begins near the River Marne with a German attack.
- 1926 - BEST buses make its début in Mumbai.
- 1927 - Massacre of July 15, 1927: 89 protesters are killed by the Austrian police in Vienna.
- 1929 - First weekly radio broadcast of Mormon Tabernacle Choir radio show, Music and the Spoken Word.
- 1931 - Kid Chocolate becomes Cuba's first world boxing champion.
- 1945 - President Harry Truman disembarks the heavy cruiser the USS Augusta (CA-31) in Antwerp en route to Potsdam for the Potsdam Conference.
- 1953 - John Reginald Christie, British serial killer executed.
- 1954 - First flight of the Boeing 707, the first American jet passenger airliner.
- 1958 - In Lebanon, 5,000 United States Marines land in the capital Beirut in order to provide military support to the pro-Western government there.
- 1974 - In Nicosia, Cyprus, Greek-sponsored nationalists launch a coup d'état, deposing President Makarios and installing Nikos Sampson as Cypriot president.
- 1975 - Apollo Soyuz Test Project: Apollo and Soyuz spacecraft take off for U.S.-Soviet link-up in space.
- 1977 - Griffith N.S.W, Anti - Drug campainer Donald Mackay disappears presumed murdered.
- 1979 - U.S. President Jimmy Carter gives his famous "malaise" speech, where he characterizes the greatest threat to the country as "this crisis in the growing doubt about the meaning of our own lives and in the loss of a unity of purpose for our nation."
- 1988 - Die Hard opens in theaters, starring Bruce Willis
- 1989 - Punk rock band Bad Religion releases their sixth album, No Control.
- 1992 - A major fire consumes an entire city block in tourist destination Gatlinburg, Tennessee, destroying the Ripley's Believe It Or Not! Museum and several other local businesses in the process. The block was rebuilt and re-opened in 1995.
- 1994 - Albert Belle of the Cleveland Indians caught with a corked bat.
- 1995 - Fluid Concepts & Creative Analogies: Computer Models of the Fundamental Mechanisms of Thought by Douglas Hofstadter becomes the first item sold on Amazon.com
- 1996 - MSNBC cable-DBS channel launched
- 1996 - A Royal Belgian Air Force C-130 Hercules carrying the Royal Netherlands Army marching band crashes on landing at Eindhoven Airport. Thirty-two people die in the flames, two people die of their injuries, and Seven people sustain severe burns.
- 1997 - In Miami, Florida, serial killer Andrew Phillip Cunanan guns down Gianni Versace outside his home.
- 1999 - Safeco Field opens in Seattle, Washington.
- 2002 - "American Taliban" John Walker Lindh pleads guilty to supplying aid to the enemy and for the possession of explosives during the commission of a felony. Lindh agrees to serve 10 years in prison for each of the charges.
- 2002 - Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh and three other suspects convicted of murdering Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl.
- 2003 - AOL Time Warner disbands Netscape Communications Corporation. The Mozilla Foundation is established on the same day.
- 2004 - Monorail service begins in Las Vegas.
- 2004 - The BBC airs the documentary The Secret Agent, exposing racism by members of the British National Party.
- 2005 - Jack Nicklaus plays his last hole of competitive golf during The Open Championship at Hole 18 at St Andrews, finishing with a birdie.
- 2005 - Disneyland "re-launches" Space Mountain in Anaheim, California.

Births


- 1353 - Vladimir the Bold, Russian prince (d. 1410)
- 1553 - Archduke Ernest of Austria (d. 1595)
- 1573 - Inigo Jones, English architect (d. 1652)
- 1606 - Rembrandt, Dutch artist (d. 1669)
- 1631 - Jens Juel, Danish diplomat (d. 1700)
- 1704 - August Gottlieb Spangenberg, German religious leader (d. 1792)
- 1779 - Clement Clarke Moore, American educator, author, and poet (d. 1863)
- 1796 - Thomas Bulfinch, American mythologist (d. 1796)
- 1808 - Henry Edward Cardinal Manning, English Catholic archbishop (d. 1892)
- 1812 - James Hope-Scott, English barrister (d. 1873)
- 1848 - Vilfredo Pareto, Italian economist and sociologist (d. 1923)
- 1850 - Mother Cabrini, Italian-born Catholic saint (d. 1917)
- 1870 - Vladimir Dmitrievich Nabokov, Russian publisher and politician (d. 1922)
- 1871 - Kunikida Doppo, Japanese writer (d. 1908)
- 1892 - Walter Benjamin, German literary critic and writer (d. 1940)
- 1899 - Sean F. Lemass, Irish leader (d. 1971)
- 1902 - Jean Rey, Belgian politician and President of the European Commission

Haiti

:This article is about the country. For the Namibian comic strip, see Hai Ti!. The Republic of Haiti is a country situated on the western third of the island of Hispaniola and the smaller islands of La Gonâve, La Tortue (Tortuga), Les Cayemites, and Ile a Vache in the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba; Haiti shares Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic. The total land area of Haiti is 10,714 square miles (27,750 square km) and its capital is Port-au-Prince on the main island of Hispaniola. A former French colony, it was the first country in the Americas after the United States to declare its independence. In spite of its longevity, it is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Haiti is currently in a state of anomie following an uprising which resulted in the expulsion of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide on February 29, 2004; he had been re-elected in 2000 in an election dismissed by many (including the OAS) as fraudulent. [http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/pix/b/wha/30545.htm][http://www.globalresearch.ca/articles/CHO402D.html][http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/americas/03/01/aristide.claim/]

History

Main article: History of Haiti

1803: Independence

Freed blacks and mulattos joined with slaves under Pierre-Dominique Toussaint l'Ouverture against Napoleonic France in 1801 to achieve the Caribbean's first successful revolution for independence. The largely black nation remained isolated politically throughout the 19th century, though penetrated economically by international capitalism.

1915-1934: U.S. Occupation

Main article: United States occupation of Haiti (1915-1934) From July 28, 1915 until mid-August 1934, Haiti was under the occupation of the U.S. Marine Corps, effectively making Haiti a colony in all but name. Efforts were made to improve Haiti's infrastructure and education systems in particular, but because of the imposed nature of these reforms, with little regard for Haitian customs or traditions, these generally were not well-received nor especially effective.

The Rise of Duvalier

A medical doctor, François Duvalier was not allowed to establish his own practice due to racist customs in Haiti (he was black). After securing employment with an American medical project that was fighting widespread tuberculosis, Duvalier had the opportunity to see the poverty that existed in the countryside. This fueled his interest in politics, and despite the fact that the Haitian government was predominantly mulatto, Duvalier was able to gain a following and joined forces with powerful union leader Daniel Fignole. Together they formed the popular Mouvement Ouvriers Paysans (MOP) party. They continued to gain public support and waited for their moment to seize the power. Both men wanted to take the top job of President, therefore the party was split and in 1957 Fignole became president of Haiti. His position lasted only 18 days, however, because Duvalier was able to overthrow him and began what was to become a 29-year dynasty.

1957-1986: Duvaliers and Aborted freeport

Duvalier, also known as "Papa Doc," became president in 1957 and dictator in 1964. He was known for his army of sunglasses-clad volunteers, the Tonton Macoute. In 1967 proposals were made to construct a free port on the Haitian island of Tortuga by a consortium formed in the United States by Don Pierson of Eastland, Texas. These plans reached maturity in 1971 when a 99-year contract was entered into by François Duvalier on behalf of the Haitian government. Although construction of infastructure and a new international airport was commenced, two other events brought about the sudden demise of the whole venture. When François Duvalier suddenly died in 1971 his son Jean-Claude Duvalier ("Baby Doc") took over at the age of 19. The advisers soon concluded that Haiti needed a new image to attract economic assistance, tourism, and investment. In 1974 it became known that the freeport had entered into a multimillion dollar contract with the Gulf Oil corporation to advance development on the island. This news prompted "Baby Doc" to expropriate the venture for himself, under prompting from his advisors including his mother, Simone Ovide Duvalier; Defense and Gen. Claude Raymond, commander of the army, and his brother, Foreign Minister Adrien Raymond; and Minister of Coordination and Information Fritz Cinéas. This move by the regency caused the collapse of the freeport venture. Under the Baby Doc regime some political prisoners were released, press censorship eased, and a policy of "gradual democratization of institutions" was professed. But in fact no sharp changes from previous policies occurred. No political opposition was tolerated, and all important political officials and judges were still appointed by the president. Haiti continued a semi-isolationist approach to foreign relations, although the government actively solicited foreign aid. In 1980 Duvalier married a divorcee Michèle Bennett, who later supplanted his hard-line mother in Haitian politics. In the face of increasing social unrest, however, Duvalier and his wife left the country early in 1986, leaving the entire country in poverty and lacking international commercial development. A six-member council replaced Duvalier when he fled to southern France, where he lived in luxury in Cannes until his wife left him and took his children and most of their cash. He now lives in modest circumstances in Paris.

1986: After Duvalier Regime

After Duvalier fled, the U.S. installed a military regime, The National Council of Government (CNG), headed by General Henri Namphy. It was supposed to design a new Constitution and arrange for democratic elections within two years, but didn't step down until 1990, when Jean-Bertrand Aristide was elected president. Most of his term was usurped by a military coup d'etat, but he was returned to office in 1994 by a U.S. military intervention with a mandate from the United Nations. He served the remainder of the five year term to which he was elected and oversaw the installation of Rene Preval, his Prime Minister, to the presidency in 1996. In the late 1970s, a time of increasing militancy against the brutal regime of Jean-Claude Duvalier, Aristide urged change and often found himself at odds with his superiors in the Roman Catholic Church. In 1986, the year Duvalier was driven from power, Aristide survived the first of many assassination attempts. In 1990, when a notorious Duvalierist announced his candidacy for president, progressive-centre forces united to urge Aristide to run for the office. He was elected in Haiti's first free democratic election on Dec. 16, 1990, with an overwhelming 67% of the vote. Aristide's campaign motto, "Lavalas" (Creole for "flood"), became the name for a diverse coalition of parties that symbolized hope for the Haitian people (80% of whom earned less than $150 a year). In his seven months as president in 1991, Aristide proposed raising the minimum wage, initiated a literacy campaign, dismantled the repressive system of rural section chiefs, and oversaw a drastic reduction in human rights violations. A coup on Sept. 30, 1991, led by the military and financed by members of Haiti's elite, declared that such reforms would not be tolerated. The coup's leaders: General Raul Cedras, Colonel Michel Francois, and general Philippe Biamby, were all graduates of the US Army School of the Americas in Fort Benning, Georgia. After three years of exile, a U.S. invasion allowed Aristide to return and resume his presidency on Oct. 15, 1994. The economy was in shambles, infrastructure almost nonexistent, and more than 4,000 people had been killed. Barred constitutionally from immediate reelection, he stepped down in 1996. The old Lavalas coalition fractured, and in November 1996 he launched a new political party, Fanmi Lavalas (Lavalas Family).

2000-2004: Second Aristide Term and Ensuing Crises

In May 2000, Haiti held legislative and local government elections. The Family Lavalas Party won over 50% of the vote in nearly all the contests but a dispute arose about the method used to tabulate the percentages for the Senate elections. The Organization of American States (OAS) and the international community condemned the results for the Senate elections as fraudulent. The Haitian government refused to re-calculate the percentages. In response, most of the opposition parties refused to acknowledge the results or take part in second-round run-offs. In the months leading up to the Presidential election at the end of the year, numerous negotiations failed to produce a settlement. Therefore, most opposition groups boycotted the Presidential election. Aristide won this election by 90% of the popular vote, but due to the earlier dispute, the opposition parties never accepted his victory as legitimate. Aristide took office on February 7, 2001, but his presidency was mired in controversy, and his government was undermined by the political impasse and the use of armed gangs, called 'chimeres', to enforce his rule. By 2003, the country was deeply divided between pro-and anti-Aristide camps. This finally led to an armed conflict which increased in intensity on February 5, 2004, 200 years after the Haitian Revolution, when an armed rebel group which formerly called itself the Cannibal Army and worked for President Aristide transformed itself into the Revolutionary Artibonite Resistance Front took control of the Gonaïves police station. This rebellion then spread throughout the central Artibonite province by February 17 and was joined by opponents of the government who had been in exile in the Dominican Republic. On February 29, 2004, United States flew Aristide out of the country. Aristide was forced to sign a resignation of the Presidency and was taken to the Central African Republic. The circumstances surrounding this flight are a matter of controversy. Many media sources reported that Aristide had resigned and been refused asylum by South Africa. On March 1, 2004, US Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), along with Randall Robinson, a family friend of the Aristides, each reported that Aristide had told them using a smuggled cellular telephone that he had been forced to resign against his will by United States diplomats and Marines, and that he was abducted against his will, and continued to be held hostage by an undisclosed armed military guard. [6], [7] When asked whether Aristide was guarded in the Central African Republic by French officers, the French Defense Minister answered that Aristide was protected, not imprisoned, and that he would leave when he could; and that France had many officers present in the Central African Republic following the recent events in that country, but that they did not control Aristide's comings and goings [8]. Both Maxine Waters and United States congressman Charles Rangel, [9] who also reported talking to Aristide via cellular telephone, said that Aristide said he had not been handcuffed while being led away, while the Agence France Press reported that the caretaker at Aristide's house claimed that Aristide had been handcuffed and led away at gunpoint.[10]. Other reports of Aristide being led away by heavily armed American troops have been made by an Aristide bodyguard and an independent film maker. [11] Aristide told CNN that there were unidentified civilian Americans and Haitians who had forced him to resign and board the plane leaving Haiti. [12] The Haitian body guards who had formerly worked for the President were dismissed at 2 am that day and descended on a popular journalists hotel in Port au Prince complaining that they had not been paid, even the 20th rate that was paid to the white foreign body guards. The United States vice-president Dick Cheney and Secretary of State Colin Powell both reported that Aristide had resigned willingly [13], [14]. The Associated Press reported that the Central African Republic tried to get Aristide to stop repeating his charges to the press [15]. Aristide has further alleged that the resignation statement that is being touted was altered to remove a conditional statement in which he stated,"'If I am obliged to leave in order to avoid bloodshed." [16]; this was confirmed by a Reuters translation of Aristide's original statement, which matches up word for word except for the one line, in which the conditional has been removed. On 14 March 2004, he left the Central African Republic for Jamaica, to the dismay of the French and American governments, who felt that his presence in the area would have a destabilizing effect on Haiti. The American ambassador to Haiti, James Foley, issued a warning to Aristide to stay at least 150 miles away from Haiti at all times. Condoleezza Rice is reported to have said that she did not want him in the Western Hemisphere. [17] After arriving in Jamaica, Aristide gave a full interview, in which he claimed the following specifics (note: The US has neither confirmed nor denied these details, but has insisted that Aristide left willingly): He had met with US ambassador James Foley on February 28, 2004 — the day before the rebels were supposed to attack the capital. Foley agreed that Aristide should go on national television to appeal to the nation to remain calm, as he had done the night before. When he arrived at his residence, it was surrounded by "thousands" of troops, mostly Americans, which made him feel intimidated. The Americans told him they would provide him security as they escorted him to the media; however, instead, they took him straight to a white unmarked airplane with a US flag on the side. He was then obliged to board, followed by US troops in full gear who changed into civilian clothes once on board. On board were his wife and 19 of his private body guards from the Steele Foundation, a white mercenary company. Quite conveniently, all of his luggage had previously been loaded. Aristide's account was directly backed up by two witnesses: a pilot and Aristide aide, Franz Gabriel; and an American security guard on the security detail, who told the Washington Post about the subterfuge to lure Aristide away: "That was just bogus. It's a story they fabricated." [18] [http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/pix/b/wha/30545.htm][http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/02/29/world/main602985.shtml]

Post-Aristide

In the wake of Aristide's departure, while Supreme Court Chief Justice Boniface Alexandre succeeded to the Presidency (in accordance with the stipulations of the 1987 constitution), the Conseil des Sages, a seven-member executive advisory board which was appointed by the OAS-sanctioned Tripartite Council (consisting of Leslie Voltaire, Paul Denis, and Adamo Guino), immediately selected the Prime Minister, former Manigat Foreign Minister Gerard Latortue, who, in turn, selected his cabinet, which consists mostly of opposition leaders or spokespersons:
- Adeline Magloire Chancy – Women’s Conditions
- Philippe Mathieu – Agriculture
- Yvon Simeon - Foreign Affairs
- Yves Andre Wainwright – Environment
- Pierre Buteau – Education
- Bernard Gousse – Justice and Public Security
- Daniele Saint-Lot – Commerce and Industry
- Henri Bazin - Finance
- Josette Bijoux - Health
- Roland Pierre - Planning
- Herard Abraham - Interior
- Magali Comeau Denis - Culture Non-Cabinet Officials:
- Michel Brunache - Chief of Cabinet
- Max Mathurin - Head of Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) Gousse had, since his appointment, become notorious for the alleged wrongful imprisonment of Lavalas party members and supporters, and, seemingly under pressure from Washington, resigned from office on June 15, 2005. He was replaced as justice minister by Henri Dorlean. The Council of Sages, which consists of the following:
- Lamartine Clermont (Catholic Church)
- Ariel Henry (Democratic Platform opposition group)
- Anne-Marie Issa (Owner of Signal FM Radio)
- MacDonald Jean (Anglican Church)
- Daniele Magloire ([CONAP] women's group coalition)
- Christian Rousseau (University of Haiti Administrator (previously involved in opposition student protests))
- Paul Emile Simon – Fanmi Lavalas (party of Aristide government), has, like the present interim government, its proponents, the Haitian National Police, and MINUSTAH (which consists mostly of Brazilian, Chilean, and other multinational peacekeeping contingents, led by Brazil), become the source of controversy both within and without Haiti, especially in Brazil (which provides a bulk majority of the peacekeeping force), the United States (which is heavily suspected of foul play regarding the February 2004 coup), Canada (whose Martin government had also supported the overthrow of Aristide, and whose own RCMP is training a significant contingent of the rather-notorious HNP), and, to a somewhat lesser degree, France (from whom Aristide had requested a restitution of exactly US$21,685,135,571.48, the modern-day equivalent of the 90 million gold francs which were demanded as ransom by the French government from then-President Jean-Pierre Boyer). Protest groups, websites, and news feeds have since been formed in response to the 2004 coup and following events, such as the [http://haitiaction.net Haiti Action Committee] and the [http://www.outofhaiti.ca/ Canada Out of Haiti Campaign] (a project of the Canada-Haiti Action Network). Other groups, who viewed the Aristide presidency as a democratic "coup d'etat" leading to the establishment of a dictatorship in all but name, have set up their own website, the [http://www.haitipolicy.org Haiti Democracy Project] being the best known. The UN mission, in the meantime, has itself ran aground in its relations with both the interim government (and its proponents), the Lavalas party (and its grassroots support), and human rights activists, often being accused (by the first group) of not doing enough to curtail the seemingly omnipresent and eternal violence, rape, and extortion which has tainted Haiti's international image, (by the second group) of colluding with armed (and notorious) militants and policemen in the suppression of neighborhood violence in Port-au-Prince, and (by the third group) actively participating in violence against the Lavalas party and grassroots support, all of which have been constantly refuted by UN officials, including Secretary-General Kofi Annan and Force Commander Lieutenant-General Augusto Heleno Ribeiro Pereira of Brazil (who was replaced by fellow Brazilian and General Urano Teixeira da Matta Bacellar on 1 September). See the 2005 July 6 United Nations assault on Cité Soleil, Haiti. Furthermore, Haiti suffered badly during 2004 with floods hitting the Fonds Verettes and Mapou region in May 2004 and Hurricane Jeanne hitting the Gonaives area that September Tropical storm Jeanne [http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sfl-0923haitigallery,0,7266223.photogallery]. So far, the 2005 season has been more gentle. The only storm to have impacted Haiti, Hurricane Dennis, resulted in a significantly lesser loss of life (less than 200 fatalities) [http://www.cnn.com/2005/WEATHER/07/06/tropical.weather/]. On June 27, 2004, Yvon Neptune, Haiti’s last constitutionally appointed prime minister under President Jean-Bertrand was imprisoned by the transitional government.[http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&code=LAU20040629&articleId=778] Neptune was never allowed to see a judge in his case. On April 17, 2005, Neptune went on a hunger strike vowing not to eat until the Interim Government of Haiti (IGH) drops the charges against him; charges that it has refused to pursue.[http://www.haitiaction.net/News/BC/5_5_5.html][http://radio.indymedia.org/news/2005/05/4949.php] Father Gérard Jean-Juste, a Catholic Priest and Lavalas supporter, is another high profile political prisoner in Haiti [http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/07/28/149242]. In the midst of the ongoing controversy and violence, however, the interim government has planned legislative and executive elections for 20 November 2005 (originally set for 13 November), with a runoff set for 3 January. Local elections were originally scheduled for 9 October, but have been pushed back until 11 December. The election is deeply split between two camps - the elite and the nation's poor that remain fiercely loyal to Aristide. There are 33 people on the list candidates for Haiti's next president.[http://www.newsday.com/news/local/longisland/politics/ny-wocand114465780oct12,0,3083790.story?coll=ny-lipolitics-print] [http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/world/haiti/12812233.htm] An early favorite is Rene Preval. Preval was the Prime Minister from February 13 to October 11, 1991, but was replaced following the military coup of that year. He was elected President of Haiti in 1995 and served his full term, turning over the Presidency to Jean Bertrand Aristide on 7 February, 2001. He is the only the second President of Haiti to serve a full term and leave office peacefully. He is the first to have been elected and succeeded by an elected President. Marc L. Bazin is a former World Bank official and favorite candidate of the George H.W. Bush Administration and the borgeois population of Haiti. Marc Louis Bazin is running under the political party 'Union pour Haïti', an alliance between the 'Mouvement pour l’Instauration de la Démocratie en Haïti' (MIDH) et 'Fanmi Lavalas' (FL) de Jean-Bertrand Aristide.[http://www.haitielection2005.com/presidential_candidates.php/2] Another presidential hopeful, Dumarsais Mécène Siméus, a Haitian-born businessman has been nominated by a broad-based reform coalition of two Haitian opposition parties is leading what looks like a Populist campaign. [http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/09-30-2005/0004136103&EDATE=] Simeus never renounced his Haitian citizenship and he is a dual citizen. During his 21 years away from Haiti, Simeus, has become a multi-millionaire in Texas and is now intending to return to Haiti.[http://www.statesman.com/metrostate/content/auto/epaper/editions/friday/metro_state_3416ec327631a1e3008f.html] With great fanfare, he began a campaign rally in Solino, a crumbling and crime-plagued neighborhood of the Haitian capital. Dozens of angry men and women rushed onto the streets, hurling rocks and chunks of concrete at Mr. Siméus's car, forcing him to flee. [http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/30/international/americas/30haiti.html] Another candidate is Charles Henri Baker, a 50-year-old prominent businessman with US residency who led a civic group that organized to unseat Aristide last year. Baker is running with the independent Konba party. Baker insists he has widespread support among poor Haitians, despite his image as a scion of the elite. Baker supported the second armed ouster of Aristide, in 2004, is backed by powerful industrialists. [http://www.boston.com/news/world/latinamerica/articles/2005/10/27/in_struggling_haiti_some_long_for_ex_dictator/] Yet another candidate is Dany Toussaint, a former Haitian Army major, police chief and bodyguard of Jean-Bertrand Aristide. He is now a Lavalas Family "Senator". Guy Philippe, a former police chief and one of the leaders of the rebellion that pushed Aristide out in early 2004. Evans Paul, former mayor of Port-au-Prince, one-time Aristide ally and longtime fixture in Haitian politics. Leslie Manigat, a former president, forced from power by the military in 1988.

Politics

Main article: Politics of Haiti Haiti is a presidential republic with an elected president and National Assembly. However, some claim it to be an authoritarian government in practice. On 29 February 2004, a rebellion culminated in the defacto resignation of president Jean-Bertrand Aristide and it is unknown if the current political structure will remain. The constitution was introduced in 1987 under the administration of Leslie Manigat and is modeled on those of the United States and France. Having been either completely or partially suspended for some years, it was fully reinstated in 1994. Since, and as a result of, the aforementioned coup, the future of the 1987 Constitution has fallen into doubt, even though the planned elections for the Presidency, Parliament, and local governments are being held in accordance with its terms. See List of Presidents of Haiti, 2006 Haitian Elections, 2000 Haitian Elections, 1995 Haitian Elections, 1990 Haitian Elections, and the Constitution of Haiti.

Departments

Main article: Departments of Haiti Haiti is divided into ten departments (provinces):
- Artibonite
- Centre
- Grand'Anse
- Nord
- Nord-Est
- Nord-Ouest
- Ouest
- Sud
- Sud-Est
- Les Nippes, the newest department with Miragoane as administrative capital, was set up in 2003 under President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Sud-Est

Geography

Main article: Geography of Haiti Haiti's terrain consists mainly of rugged mountains with small coastal plains and river valleys. The east and central part is a large elevated plateau. In 1925, Haiti was a lush island paradise with 60% of its original forest covering the lands and mountainous regions. Over the years, Haiti cut down 95% of its trees and in the process destroyed fertile farmland soils. Now the mountains are bare down to the bedrock. Pictures from space glaringly show this stark contrast compared to Haiti's neighbour the Dominican Republic. The reason Haiti cut down all their trees is because the poor people make money from burning the wood and selling charcoal. This deforestation lead to soil erosion and flooding as seen on September 17, 2004. Tropical storm Jeanne skimmed the north coast of Haiti leaving 3006 people dead in flooding and mudslides, mostly in the city of Gonaïves. [http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sfl-0923haitigallery,0,7266223.photogallery]

Economy

Main article: Economy of Haiti Haiti remains the least-developed country in the Western Hemisphere and one of the poorest in the world. Comparative social and economic indicators show Haiti falling behind other low-income developing countries (particularly in the hemisphere) since the 1980s. Haiti now ranks 153rd of 177 countries in the UN’s Human Development Index. About 80% of the population lives in abject poverty, making it the second poorest country in the world. Nearly 70% of all Haitians depend on the agriculture sector, which consists mainly of small-scale subsistence farming and employs about two-thirds of the economically active work force. The country has experienced little job creation since President René Préval took office in February 1996, although the informal economy is growing. Failure to reach agreements with international sponsors have denied Haiti badly needed budget and development assistance.

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Haiti Although Haiti averages about 270 people per square kilometer (699/mi²), its population is concentrated most heavily in urban areas, coastal plains, and valleys. About 95% of Haitians are of African descent. The rest of the population is mostly mulatto, or mixed Caucasian-African ancestry. A few are of European or Levantine heritage. About two thirds of the population live in rural areas. The biggest city is the capital Port-au-Prince with 2 million inhabitants, followed by Cap-Haïtien with 600,000. French is one of two official languages, but it is spoken by only about 10% of the people. Nearly all Haitians speak Krèyol(Creole), the country's other official language. English is increasingly spoken among the young and in the business sector. Roman Catholicism is the state religion, which the majority professes. Some have converted to Protestantism. Many Haitians also practice Vodou, seeing no conflict with their Christian faith. Protestant churches of numerical strength are Assemblées de Dieu, the Convention Baptiste d'Haïti, the Seventh-Day Adventists, the Church of God (Cleveland), the Church of the Nazarene, the Église Episcopale d'Haiti and the Mission Evangelique Baptiste du Sud-Haiti.

Culture

Main articles: Culture of Haiti A distinction should be made between Haitian Vodou and American (New Orleans) Voodoo. They are similar in some respects, but very different in most. Haitian Vodou mostly involves communication with spiritual deities (Lwa or Loa) whereas New Orleans Voodoo usually relies heavily on charms and other talismans, resembling another Caribbean/afro influenced religion: Hoodoo.

Miscellaneous topics


- Communications in Haiti
- Haitians in Mainstream
- Foreign relations of Haiti
- Kreyol ayisyen
- List of Haitian companies
- Military of Haiti
- Transportation in Haiti
- Voodoo in Haiti
- [http://kiskeyacity.blogspot.com/2005/11/second-generation-nation-mill-polyn.html Second Generation Haitian-American (Interview)]

External links


- [http://www.haitiinnovation.org Haiti Innovation], blog and development projects in Haiti
- [http://www.haitiaction.com Haiti Action]
- [http://www.haitipolicy.org Haiti Democracy Project]
- [http://www.fouye.com Fouye!], Haitian Search Engine.
- [http://www.alterpresse.org AlterPresse], news briefs in several languages.
- [http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ha.html CIA World Fact Book - Haiti]
- [http://www.travelinghaiti.com/ Haitian History, Maps and News]
- [http://www.HavenWorks.com/world/haiti Haiti News]
- [http://www.haitisupport.gn.apc.org Haiti Support Group]
- [http://www.nchr.org National Coalition for Haitian Rights]
- [http://www.palaisnational.info/ National Palace]
- [http://www.port-haiti.com/cgibin/search/port-haiti.cgi/ Port Haiti]
- [http://www.ifex.org/20fr/content/view/full/118/ Press freedom in Haiti: IFEX]
- [http://www.haiti-progres.com/eng07-06.html/ Haiti Progres]
- [https://listhost.uchicago.edu/mailman/listinfo/haiti-news Haiti-news list], Haitian news
- [http://dir.groups.yahoo.com/dir/1600014114 Yahoo Group Directory for Regional > Countries > Haiti]
- [http://dir.groups.yahoo.com/dir/1600444519 Yahoo Group Government & Politics Directory]
- [http://dir.groups.yahoo.com/dir/1600103560 Yahoo Group Directory - Haitian American]
- [http://dir.groups.yahoo.com/dir/1604146720 Yahoo Group Directory - Romance and Relationships]
- [http://dir.yahoo.com/Regional/Countries/Haiti/ Yahoo Directory]
- [http://news.yahoo.com/fc/World/Haiti/ Yahoo News Full Coverage]
- [http://kiskeyacity.blogspot.com/ Blog for Haitianists] Category:CARICOM member states Category:Republics zh-min-nan:Haiti ko:아이티 ms:Haiti ja:ハイチ simple:Haiti



List of Presidents of Haiti

This page lists presidents and other heads of state of Haiti. See also lists of incumbents. Between 1806 and 1820 Haiti was divided between the northern State, later Kingdom of Haiti, and the southern Republic of Haiti.

Governors-General of Haiti, 1804


- Jean-Jacques Dessalines: 1 January - 22 September 1804 (proclaimed self Emperor)

Emperors of Haiti, 1804-1806


- Jacques I: 22 September 1804 - 17 October 1806

Heads of State of the State of Haiti, 1806-1811


- Henri Christophe: 17 October 1806 - 28 March 1811 (Proclaimed self King)

Kings of Haiti, 1811-1820


- Henri I: 28 March 1811 - 8 October 1820

Presidents of the Republic of Haiti, 1806-1849


- Henri Christophe: 28 December 1806 - 27 January 1807
- Bruno Blanchet (acting): 27 January - 10 March 1807
- Alexandre Pétion: 10 March 1807 - 29 March 1818
- Jean-Pierre Boyer: 30 March 1818 - 13 March 1843
- Charles Hérard Rivière: 13 March 1843 - 2 May 1844
- Philippe Guerrier: 3 May 1844 - 15 April 1845
- Jean-Louis Pierrot: 16 April 1845 - 1 March 1846
- Jean-Baptiste Riché: 1 March 1846 - 27 February 1847
- Faustin Soulouque: 1 March 1847 - 26 August 1849 (proclaimed self Emperor)

Emperors of Haiti, 1849-1859


- Faustin I: 26 August 1849 - 15 January 1859

Presidents of Haiti, 1859-present


- Fabre Geffrard: 15 January 1859 - 13 March 1867
- Nissage Saget (provisional): 20 March - 2 May 1867
- Sylvain Salnave: 4 May 1867 - 27 December 1869
- Nissage Saget: 27 December 1869 - 13 May 1874
- Council of Secretaries of State: 13 May - 14 June 1874
- Michel Domingue: 14 June 1874 - 15 April 1876
- Pierre Théoma Boisrond-Canal: 23 April 1876 - 17 July 1879
- Joseph Lamothe (provisional): 26 July - 2 October 1879
- Lysius Salomon: 2 October 1879 - 10 August 1888
- Pierre Théoma Boisrond-Canal (provisional): 10 August - 16 October 1888
- François Denys Légitime: 16 October 1888 - 22 August 1889
- Monpoint jeune (provisional): 23 August - 17 October 1889
- Florvil Hyppolite: 17 October 1889 - 24 March 1896
- Tirésias Simon-Sam: 31 March 1896 - 12 May 1902
- Pierre Théoma Boisrond-Canal (provisional): 26 May - 17 December 1902
- Pierre Nord Alexis: 17 December 1902 - 2 December 1908
- François C. Antoine Simon: 6 December 1908 - 3 August 1911
- Cincinnatus Leconte: 24 July 1911 - 8 August 1912
- Tancrède Auguste: 8 August 1912 - 3 May 1913
- Michel Oreste: 12 May 1913 - 27 January 1914
- Oreste Zamor: 8 February - 29 October 1914
- Joseph Davilmar Théodore: 6 November 1914 - 22 February 1915
- Jean Vilbrun Guillaume Sam: 25 February - 28 July 1915
- Philippe Sudré Dartiguenave: 12 August 1915 - 15 May 1922
- Louis Bornó: 15 May 1922 - 15 May 1930
- Louis Eugène Roy: 15 May - 18 November 1930
- Sténio Vincent: 18 November 1930 - 15 May 1941
- Élie Lescot: 15 May 1941 - 11 January 1946
- Franck Lavaud (Chairman of the Military Executive Committee): 11 January - 16 August 1946
- Dumarsais Estimé: 16 August 1946 - 10 May 1950
- Franck Lavaud (Chairman of Government Junta): 10 May - 6 December 1950
- Paul Eugène Magloire: 6 December 1950 - 12 December 1956
- Joseph Nemours Pierre-Louis (provisional): 12 December 1956 - 4 February 1957
- Franck Sylvain (provisional): 7 February - 1 April 1957
- Executive Government Council: 6 April - 20 May 1957
- Daniel Fignolé (provisional): 25 May - 14 June 1957
- Antonio Thrasybule Kebreau (Chairman of the Military Council): 14 June - 22 October 1957
- François Duvalier: 22 October 1957 - 21 April 1971
- Jean-Claude Duvalier: 21 April 1971 - 6 February 1986
- Henri Namphy (Chairman of the National Council): 6 February 1986 - 7 February 1988
- Leslie Manigat: 7 February - 20 June 1988
- Henri Namphy: 20 June - 17 September 1988
- Prosper Avril: 17 September 1988 - 10 March 1990
- Herard Abraham 10 March 1990 13 March 1990
- Ertha Pascal-Trouillot (provisional): 13 March 1990 - 7 February 1991
- Jean-Bertrand Aristide: 7 February - 30 September 1991
- Raoul Cédras (leader of Military Junta): 30 September - 8 October 1991
- Joseph Nérette (provisional): 8 October 1991 - 19 June 1992
- Marc Bazin (acting): 19 June 1992 - 15 June 1993
- Jean-Bertrand Aristide: 15 June 1993 - 12 May 1994
- Émile Jonassaint (provisional): 12 May - 12 October 1994
- Jean-Bertrand Aristide: 12 October 1994 - 7 February 1996
- René Préval: 7 February 1996 - 7 February 2001
- Jean-Bertrand Aristide: 7 February 2001 - 29 February 2004
- Boniface Alexandre (provisional): 29 February 2004 - Haiti, List of Presidents of List

1994

1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International year of the Family.

Events

January


- January 1 - North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) goes into effect
- January 1 - Zapatista Army of National Liberation begins war in Chiapas, Mexico
- January 1 - Bantustans join South Africa
- January 6 - Nancy Kerrigan is clubbed on the right leg by an assailant under orders from figure skating rival Tonya Harding.
- January 8 - Valeri Polyakov began his 437.7 day orbit, eventually setting the world record for days spent in orbit.
- January 11 - Irish government announces the end of a 15-year broadcasting ban on the IRA and its political arm Sinn Fein
- January 14 - U.S. President Bill Clinton and Russian President Boris Yeltsin sign the Kremlin accords which stop the preprogrammed aiming of nuclear missiles to targets and also provide for the dismantling of the nuclear arsenal in Ukraine.
- January 17 - 1994 Northridge Earthquake, magnitude 6.7, hits the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles at 4:31 am.
- January 20 - In South Carolina, Shannon Faulkner becomes the first female cadet to attend The Citadel but soon drops out.
- January 26 - A man fires two blank shots at Charles, Prince of Wales in Sydney, Australia.
- January 28 - The first trial of accused murderer Lyle Menendez ends in a mistrial. He and his brother Erik are later found guilty and sentenced to life in prison without parole.
- January 31 - German luxury car manufacturer BMW announces the purchase of Rover from British Aerospace

February


- February 1 - In Portland, Oregon, Tonya Harding's ex-husband Jeff Gillooly pleads guilty for his role in attacking figure skater Nancy Kerrigan. He accepts a plea bargain admitting to racketeering charges in exchange for testimony against Harding.
- February 3 - William J. Perry was sworn in as the 19th Secretary of Defense of United States
- February 5 - Byron De La Beckwith is convicted of the 1963 murder of civil rights leader Medgar Evers
- February 6 - Serb mortar shell kills 68 civilians and wounds about 200 in a Sarajevo marketplace
- February 9 - Peace plan for Bosnia and Herzegovina announced (so called Vance-Owen peace plan)
- February 12 - Edvard Munch's painting, "The Scream," is stolen in Oslo. It is recovered on May 7
- February 22 - Aldrich Ames and his wife are charged with spying for the Soviet Union by the United States Department of Justice. Ames would later be convicted to life imprisonment and his wife would receive 5 years in prison
- February 24 - In Gloucester, local police begins excavations at 25 Cromwell Street the home of Frederick West suspected of multiple murders. On February 28, he and his wife are arrested
- February 25 - Kahanist Baruch Goldstein opens fire inside the Cave of the Patriarchs in the West Bank. He kills 29 Muslims before worshippers beat him to death
- February 27 - Australian Federal Sports & Environment Minister Ros Kelly resigns over "The Sports Rorts Affair", where it was alleged that she apportioned money for community sporting projects in a pork barreling fashion.
- February 28 - US F-16 pilots shoot down four Serbian fighter aircraft over Bosnia for violation of the Operation Deny Flight and its no-fly zone

March


- March 1 - A lone terrorist kills Ari Halberstam on an attack on 14 Jewish students on the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City. [http://www.arihalberstam.com]
- March 1 - South Africa cedes Walvis Bay to Namibia.
- March 1 - Mary Ellen Withrow begins term of office as Treasurer of the United States, serving under President Bill Clinton.
- March 4 - Four terrorists are convicted for their roles in the World Trade Center bombing which killed six and injured more than a thousand.
- March 6 - Referendum in Moldova results in the electorate voting against possible reunification with Romania.
- March 7 - The Supreme Court of the United States rules in Campbell v. Acuff-Rose Music that parodies of an original work are generally covered by the doctrine of fair use.
- March 12 - A photo by Marmaduke Wetherell, previously touted as 'proof' of the Loch Ness monster, is confirmed to be a hoax.
- March 12 - The Church of England ordains its first female priests.
- March 16 - In Portland, Oregon Tonya Harding pleads guilty to conspiracy to hinder prosecution for trying to cover-up an attack on figure skating rival Nancy Kerrigan. She is fined $100,000 and banned from the sport.
- March 23 - At an election rally in Tijuana, Mexican presidential candidate Luis Donaldo Colosio is assassinated. Mario Aburto Martinez is arrested for the crime and confesses on the same day.
- March 27 - A tornado outbreak occurs in Southeastern United States. One tornado hits the United Methodist Church in Piedmont, Alabama killing 22. This outbreak is the biggest tornado event of 1994.
- March 28 - In South Africa, Zulus and African National Congress supporters battle in central Johannesburg killing 18.
- March 31 - The journal Nature reports the finding in Ethiopia of the first complete Australopithecus afarensis skull (see Human evolution).

April


- April 6 - Rwandan president Juvénal Habyarimana and president of Burundi Cyprien Ntaryamira died when a missile shoots down their jet near Kigali, Rwanda. This is taken as a pretext to begin the Rwandan Genocide
- April 7 - The Rwandan Genocide begins in Kigali, Rwanda.
- April 8 - Kurt Cobain, lead singer of Nirvana, is found dead in Seattle, Washington. He had committed suicide three days earlier.
- April 16 - Voters in Finland decide to join the European Union in a referendum.
- April 20 - Paul Touvier is found guilty of ordering the execution of 7 Jews when he was serving in the Vichy France Milice
- April 21 - Red Cross estimates that hundreds of thousands of Tutsi have been killed in Rwanda
- April 22 - Former American President Richard Nixon dies.
- April 25 - End of term for Sultan Azlan Muhibbudin Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Yusuff Izzudin Shah Ghafarullahu-lahu as 9th Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia.
- April 26 - Tuanku Jaafar ibni Almarhum Tuanku Abdul Rahman, Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan becomes the 10th Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia.
- April 26 - South Africa holds its first fully multiracial elections.
- April 30 - Formula One driver Roland Ratzenberger of Austria, age 32, dies in a high-speed, single-car crash in the practise session for the San Marino Grand Prix in Imola, Italy

May


- May 1 - Formula One driver Ayrton Senna of Brazil, age 34, is killed in a high-speed, single-car accident during the San Marino Grand Prix in Imola, Italy
- May 6 - The Channel Tunnel, which took 15,000 workers over seven years to complete, opens between England and France. Passengers can now travel between the two countries in 35 minutes.
- May 9 - Nelson Mandela is inaugurated as South Africa's first black president
- May 10 - Illinois ex