News Information

• NEWS_POSTED_BY: Haiti Place
• NEWS_POSTED_ON: May 24, 2015
• Views : 738
• Category : Haiti News
• Description : Written by Staff Writer on 12 May 2015.
  
  Photo: Hearing of the National Office of Electoral Disputes (BCEN) [ManGodHaiti]
• Location : Port-au-Prince, Ouest, Haiti

Overview

• PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (sentinel.ht) - On Monday, appellants felt, moreover, confident that they had made their case to the National Electoral Office of Disputes (BCEN) against the candidacy of Sophia Saint Remy Martelly for Senator of the Republic.
  
  The arguments were based on the first lady's nationality and not having been financially discharged for managing $234 million [US] of state funds.
  
  The court is expected to soon announce whether it will overturn or stay the ruling of the departmental office made a week prior.
  
  On Friday evening, Jean David Colin, from the Justice political party (38) presented his case against First Lady Martelly's candidacy for over three hours.
  
  On Nationality
  
  The opposing party presented the Decree of February 27, 1974 on Nationality and Naturalization that was issued "to specify precisely the conditions of Haitian nationality."
  
  Colin argued that when that decree was issued, Sophia Martelly, born in New York, had lost the quality of being Haiti.
  
  Chapter II. - Loss of Quality of Being Haiti
  
  The quality of citizenship is lost:
  
  1) By naturalization in a foreign country. The quality of Haitian is incompatible with any Haitian and foreign nationality. Nobody can claim a double Haitian and foreign nationality.
  
  2) In case of a conflict of nationality, by the obvious selection or active enjoyment of a foreign nationality.
  
  Having not been a Haitian citizen, for the very least, 30 years up to her entire life, Sophia Martelly would have had to take the steps, described in Chapter I of the same decree in order to become a naturalized Haitian. The amendments to the Constitution of Haiti in 2011 did change the law allowing someone to enjoy multiple nationalities but it is not retroactive, according to Colin and other objecting parties.
  
  Read more here >>