Werley Northreus – What’s in my package of proposed amendments?

Verley Northreus

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti “My name is Werley Northreus. I am a Haitian musician, writer, entrepreneur and rising politician. I was born and raised in Haiti. I was born in a commune called Limbe but grew up in the capital, Port-au-Prince. I represent the political party Jeunes Dirigeants Haitiens Progressistes, which I founded.

In 2022, I created a petition on mesopinions.com and change.org about some of the demands that I think Haiti would benefit from. The petition, in French and English, asks the Haitian government to change the constitution and make new amendments before the country’s future general elections.

The petition I created, of course, calls for constitutional reform through new amendments. For the first time in the country’s political history, the petition calls for new amendments that would give candidates under the age of 35 the right to participate in general elections in the 3 branches of government.

Haiti is a French-speaking country in the Caribbean, where Creole is the official language. I created the petition because I noticed that the country recognizes many constitutions that divide the citizens of Haiti rather than unite them. The country is currently facing a political crisis, famine, kidnappings, gang violence and education problems. It is for these reasons that my petition asks to integrate younger candidates into our politics to see what results can be obtained.

Today, I’m going to talk about some of the proposals I’ve made to my package of new amendments, including everyone I think should be added to the country’s constitution to change its current issues. I will answer 5 similar questions that most people and journalists ask about the package of new amendments that I propose to the government of Haiti.

1) How old am I?

Answer: I am 29 years old (born in a commune in Haiti called Limbe but grew up in the capital, Port-au-Prince).

2) Has an election date been set? If not, when do I think they will take place?

Answer: Last year, the current prime minister said that the elections were supposed to start, but were postponed. But I think that the elections will probably take place in 2023. Constitutional amendments must be adopted before the elections.

3) What exactly are the problems with the current constitution, other than limiting the age of candidates who are allowed to run? Please give some examples of how bad this is.

Answer: The current constitution has further divided the Haitian community instead of uniting the Haitian community. Some of the laws in the current constitution are not very good and Haitians say they need to be changed. The existing constitution shielded the Haitian community living in the diaspora from the country’s problems. The Haitian diaspora cannot vote in Haitian elections and is not allowed to propose plans and ideas that are good for the country. Haiti is constantly unable to meet the basic needs of its people due to the existing constitution. The current constitution does not give Haitians from the diaspora and other countries the right to open their own business in the country. Only a few Haitians in Haiti have the full right to open their own business in the country, which keeps the country’s economy in chaos. Creole, which is the official language of the country, is not allowed in schools and some other institutions.

4) In addition to lowering the age limit, what else can my new amendments offer to the people of Haiti?

Answer: The new constitution proposes new laws regarding rights and freedoms, decentralization, institutions, political associations, etc. Some of the new laws that the new constitution will offer to Haitians. Haitians in Haiti will have the right to cooperate with Haitians in the diaspora and other countries. Haitians in Haiti and in the diaspora will have the right to freely invest and open a business in the country. Women will have the same rights in institutions as men. Haitians in Haiti will have the right to partner with Haitians in the diaspora to vote in elections. The Creole language will become a priority, and teaching in schools will be carried out not only in French, but also in Creole. The Prime Minister’s Office will be transformed into the Vice President’s Office to serve the people and institutions. Children, women, men, pets, the environment and the elderly will be a priority for the Haitian government.

5) What is the voting age in Haiti?

Answer: 18 years and older.