Martelly Steers New Course for Haiti

On December 7, President Michel Martelly announced the creation of a special commission to decide on the proposal to restore Haiti’s military, the latest development in the debate over the country’s army. The military question is one more demonstration of the different leadership style being exercised by Martelly that emphasizes Haitian development and autonomy. A former musician with a wild reputation and the stage name “Sweet Micky,” Martelly won this year’s presidential election in April with a landslide 68 percent of the vote. Then considered a government outsider with no clear political agenda, some analysts questioned if he had the necessary experience to lead the country at this crucial moment. With Haiti still reeling from 2010 earthquake—with only half the rubble cleared and the economy at a standstill—Martelly wants to boost investment, increase employment, and lessen Haiti’s outsized dependence on foreign aid. Recent events, such as the president’s trip to Cuba and statements praising aid from Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, also point to a more south-south twist to the country’s foreign policy, changing the country’s traditional Washington focus.

Martelly’s plan to restore the military—disbanded in 1995 because of its role in the 1994 coup and a history of abuse—is controversial among international donors. The creation of the commission, which will have six months to make a proposal, came after Martelly delayed the plan on November 18 amid a barrage of criticisms. Objectors, such as the United States and Canada, and regional leaders, such as former Costa Rican President Óscar Arias, have panned the proposal, saying money would be better spent on education or healthcare, and that improving the police force would be preferable to deal with the country’s crime problem. But Martelly questions the need for a foreign army to maintain order in the country when young Haitians could be paid to do the job. Additionally, the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), which will begin withdrawing in October, remains highly unpopular domestically. MINUSTAH has been rocked by a sexual-assault scandal involving Uruguayan soldiers accused of attacking a Haitian man, and the possibility that Nepalese soldiers brought a cholera epidemic to the country.

Beyond the military question, Martelly wants projects that will distance Haiti from its reputation for “poverty and misery.” In an interview with AFP on December 5 he said: "We no longer want handouts, we want to promote Haiti." To that end, he seeks to promote agriculture and development, create 500,000 jobs, rebuild national institutions, and reduce the country’s dependence on foreign aid, which currently makes up about 70 percent of the country’s budget. In September he formed an advisory board with former U.S. President Bill Clinton to explore ways to attract foreign business to Haiti, and expressed interest in reviving the country’s tourism industry. He also announced up to $4 billion in projects, including the reconstruction of central Port-au-Prince. Moreover, the president announced in May that primary education will be free for all Haitians. In the aforementioned AFP interview, Martelly criticized much of the aid received after the earthquake for distributing handouts instead of contributing to the country’s reconstruction and long-term development: “Provide jobs and the people could have been able to buy their food and water.”

Martelly also appears to be pursuing a new path in Haiti’s foreign relations. He visited Cuba in late November, where he met with the Castro brothers. He praised Cuba’s work in educating Cuban doctors and battling the cholera epidemic, and made a swipe at the U.S. trade embargo against the island. In his remarks before the Community of Latin American and Caribbean Nations (CELAC) summit on December 3, Martelly thanked Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez for aid extended to Haiti through the PetroCaribe program, which supplies nearly all of Haiti’s fuel at subsidized prices. Martelly also praised Chávez for helping to provide funds for Aba Grangou (No More Hunger), a conditional cash transfer program that will help more than 100,000 single mothers. He told the Associated Press that while U.S. aid is important, Venezuelan aid (totaling $1.3 billion—slightly more than the United States’ $1.2 billion) is easier to come by.

In charting a new course for Haiti, Martelly may face an uphill battle. Chris Celius at the Foreign Policy Blog questions if the warming relations with Caracas and Havana could provoke a reaction from Washington that will make this shift toward regional allies difficult. While great progress has been made in reconstruction, much of the country remains in rubble. National institutions continue to flounder as Transparency International’s 2011 Corruption Perception Index ranks Haiti as the ninth-most corrupt nation in the world, and first in the hemisphere. But Martelly remains confident in his ability to face these challenges: “I am the leader of a country [that] has been neglected for 200 years,” he’s stated, “It is my responsibility to bring development to Haiti.”

Learn More:

• Visit the website of the President of Haiti.
• Follow Martelly on Twitter, @presidentmicky.
• Office of the U.N. Special Envoy for Haiti.