PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – Haitian President-elect Michel Martelly, who lived in the spotlight singing about his nation’s social ills, is calling on his compatriots to help him turn around the impoverished, French-speaking Caribbean country’s history into the “most beautiful page in my life”.
“I’ve always had the desire to change my country, the passion to change my country. I have tried in my own way, through my musical career and through my social services,” said Martelly, who, late on Monday was declared winner of the March 20 presidential elections replacing outgoing head of state, Rene Preval.
“Finally today, the people, because they already know me, they give me a mandate to now change their lives,” he added.
Martelly, 50, known whose musical stage name is “Sweet Micky” defeated former first lady Mirlande Manigat by a 2-1 margin.
The final results will be known on April 16.
Haiti is a member of the 15-nation Caribbean Community (CARICOM). More than 70 per cent of the population remain unemployed and Martelly blamed those in charge in the past for not being interested in the citizens.
“They did not put Haiti in their list of priorities. I’m wondering today if they had ever known, or if they had ever understood the depth of the misery, the abject poverty that is gnawing at the people,” Martelly said, adding that he is comfortable that “what is facing us now is the most beautiful page of our lives”.
He has described his electoral win as “the people’s victory” adding “I saw my dream, my vision. My people have already known me. They have always trusted me.
“These same people have identified the system in place was a system that was eating at them, consuming them alive. So I would like to say very simply the disgust that the people felt with the present situation has created the need for them to want things to change”.
Martelly said the priorities of his administration in his first 100 days include a number of small projects even as he acknowledged “we must find the economic needs to back up our projects”.
The international community, led by the United States, has held back millions of dollars in promised aid to Haiti, which was devastated by a powerful earthquake in January last year that killed an estimated 300,000 people and left more than a million others homeless.
In addition, a cholera outbreak has so far killed more than 4 000 people.
Washington and the other donors that have pledged millions of dollars in aid, say they are awaiting a new government to take office.
While he did not offer specifics, Martelly hinted that his priorities will be to restore the rule of law, by naming judges to vacant positions.
But his immediate task will be to form a new government. President Preval’s Unity party surprised many in the legislative elections by failing to achieve a majority while Martelly’s Repons Peyizan party only took a handful of seats.
The President-elect said a new era has begun and urged young people to “raise their eyes to the rainbow of promised change.
“I am proud to have been called to the service of my country. You have put your trust in me, the enfant terrible. You have trusted me to lead the country well, to leave the old demons and old quarrels of Haitian politics behind and to manage things differently. I am going to work with everyone, I am president of all Haitians,” he added. (CMC)
