A presidential decree, dated December 2 and published this Tuesday, December 6, confirms the creation of a commission to think about the issue of Armed Forces of Haiti, the "State Commission of organization of the military component of the public force" is composed of seven members, it will be responsible for, among other things, identify the resources necessary for the operation of the component, its rules and procedures of the management ressources, mission and the size of the new national force...

In Article 1 it is stated that the Commission will consult various sectors of the national life including that of the Affairs, Parliament, civil society, professional associations, political parties, grassroots organizations and churches...

In Article 2 it is stated that the time allotted to the State Commission of organization of the military component of the public force is 40 days, after this delay it will have to submit to the president the plan establishing the organization of the military component of the Public Force.

It is specified in Article 4 of this decree that the State Commission of organization of the military component of the public force is composed of Mr. Yvan Richard Maurasse, Secretary of State for National Defense, President, Mr Réginald Delva, Secretary of State for Public Security, Vice-President, Jean Bergenac Barrette, Recording Secretary, Dr. Georges Michel, member, Guy Noël, member, Jean-Thomas Cyprien, member, Gérard Gourges, member.

Then it is specified that the term of office of the State Commission of organization of the military component of the public force is of months from the date of publication of this Decree, once established it has an authority, a complete autonomy to define its structure, its organization and operation and its work plan, it can also make use of state officials and national or foreigners consultants to assist it in achieving its mandate.

It is said that the Haitian government will make available to the State Commission of organization of the military component of the public force the material and logistical resources necessary to fulfill its mandate.

In his speech on the occasion of the Battle of Vertières the President of the Republic, Michel Martelly declared "I announce to Nation Haitian and to the World the creation of a civil Commission responsible for giving substance to the file of the new defense force of the Republic of Haiti. [...]

Meanwhile that a decree comes specifying the terms of reference of this new entity, I want to reassure each other, the protagonists as opponents of the immediate setting up, that the civil Commission is subject to the requirement of democratic participation. Consultations will be conducted with all sectors of national life, civil society, the business sector, the Parliament, the legal community, political parties, grassroots organizations, churches, etc...

The objective is to re design the Haitian Army, to reconcile it with the people, with the nation, with the democratic modernity, to deploy an army of the 21st century adapted to our actual needs, relieved of all duties and repressive functions and oriented towards the national development. [...]

For this preliminary work, I assign to the civil Commission a mandatory period of 40 days, so I can, on January 1, 2012, another highly symbolic date in our history of free and sovereign people, present to the nation of Haiti, the roadmap traced over the meetings and talks."

HL/ HaitiLibre