The UN, the OAS and a group of foreign ambassadors questioned this Saturday the democratic quality of two new decrees approved in Haiti which served to create an intelligence agency and to classify acts of vandalism as “terrorism”.
The group of diplomats stresses that these decrees, signed on November 26 by President Jovenel Moise, “They do not seem to conform to certain fundamental principles of democracy.”
“These two presidential decrees, adopted in areas that fall within the competence of a Parliament, do not appear to conform to certain fundamental principles of democracy, the rule of law and the civil and political rights of citizens,” the Core Group said in a statement.
This group is made up of the representatives in the country of the United Nations (UN) and the Organization of American States (OAS) and the ambassadors of the United States, Germany, Brazil, Canada, Spain and the European Union.
One of these controversial decrees served to create the National Intelligence Agency (ANI) and “grants the agents of this institution an almost legal immunity, thus opening the possibility of abuse,” according to the Core Group.
This decree prohibits intelligence agents from being prosecuted before a court for acts committed in the exercise of their functions, unless expressly authorized by the President of the Republic.
The agents, who will answer directly to the president, have among their functions the surveillance of “groups susceptible to resorting to violence and undermining national security and social peace.”
The other decree approved the same day classifies acts of vandalism on public roads or carrying firearms as “terrorism” and establishes penalties of 30 to 50 years in prison for these crimes.
Another article of that decree also punishes the possession of ammunition, with one year in jail for each of the bullets found in the suspect’s possession.
The Core Group points out that “certain acts that do not fit” in this definition are classified as terrorist acts, also highlighting that the penalties provided are “particularly severe.”
The Core Group statement concludes by reiterating the call for the organization of legislative elections as soon as possible, to restore Parliament.
The controversial decrees were approved on November 26, but were only released by the press last week and their content has caused outrage in Haiti.
In a demonstration held last Thursday to protest against insecurity, in which hundreds of people participated, banners were seen with hostile words towards the new decrees.
Moise has governed by decree since Parliament was closed last January due to the postponement of the legislative elections, scheduled for the end of 2019.
The president is currently promoting a constitutional reform, as a previous step to the holding of the legislative and presidential elections, which are initially scheduled for 2021.
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