Legislative

Bélizaire Case: Interpellation and Rumors of Cabinet Reshuffling

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (defend.ht) - "The chances of the Ministers of Justice and Public Safety to avoid a confidence vote is minimal," said Senator Youri Latortue (Artibonite/AAA) on Monday.

On Tuesday the Senate of the Republic will resume the interpellation session of the Minister of Justice Josue Pierre-Louis and the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Michel Brunache.

Fifteen senators, said Latortue, have signed the application for sanctioning of two members of the government involved in the arrest and brief detention of Deputy Arnel Bélizaire (Delmas & Tabarre/Veye-Yo).

The questioners, determined to avenge the humiliation inflicted on the parliamentary, are almost enough to bring down the Minister Pierre-Louis. It would be best for the resignation of the ministers before the resumption of the meeting, advised the senator from Artibonite.

The reports of both commissions expedited by the Senate and the Prime Minister's Office were given to Senate President, Jean Rodolphe Joazile (Nord-Est/Alternative) and Garry Conille.

"Parliament is in its constitutional prerogative, by questioning members of the government," Prime Minister Conille conceded, speaking after the inauguration of the new premises of the Parliament of transition.

"Lessons must be learned that this does not happen again," commented Garry Conille, which has not yet revealed the findings of the report he had commissioned.

A member of the executive's committee investigating the matter, Kedl Augustine, also refrained from making public the contents of the report that was presented before the interpellation session.

The facts, he says, have been restored and responsibilities are set out in the arrest on October 27 of the member Arnel Belizaire.

Rumors of a possible cabinet reshuffle are circulating in the halls of parliament to try to resolve the matter that came out of and open verbal altercation between President Michel Martelly and Arnel Bélizaire.

President Martelly, who attended the opening ceremony of the new premises of transitional parliament, has not said a word.