Robert Manuel (politician)
Encyclopedia
Robert Manuel is a Haiti
an political figure who was an unsuccessful nominee to the post of Prime Minister of Haiti
in 2008.
Manuel, a commercial architect, is regarded as an authority in law enforcement and security. He served as Secretary of State for Public Safety under President
René Préval
from 1996 until he resigned at the request of Préval on October 7, 1999. Manuel and police chief Pierre Denize had been strongly opposed by supporters of Jean-Bertrand Aristide
, and Aristide's Lavalas
party led protests against them in April and May 1999. He left Haiti soon afterwards and alleged that Aristide's supporters were attempting to destabilize the upcoming election. After Aristide was forced out of office during the February 2004 rebellion, Manuel returned to Haiti.
He is considered a friend of Préval, and he was Préval's campaign manager during the February 2006 presidential election, which was won by Préval. During Préval's second term (2006–present), Manuel has served as a presidential adviser. Critics have said that Manuel was behind harsh crackdowns on Aristide supporters.
After Prime Minister Jacques-Édouard Alexis
was defeated in a no-confidence vote in April 2008, Préval nominated Ericq Pierre
to replace him, but Pierre's nomination was rejected by the Chamber of Deputies
on 12 May 2008 due to a technicality with his citizenship papers. Préval then nominated Manuel, a presidential adviser, as Prime Minister late on May 25 during a meeting with the President of the Senate
and the President of the Chamber of Deputies.
The Chamber of Deputies rejected Manuel's nomination by a vote of 57 to 26, with 6 abstentions, on 13 June 2008, noting that he did not own property on Haiti and only registered to vote a day after formally being nominated to the post; both of those are necessary qualifications to becoming Prime Minister. The main group of deputies rejecting Manuel was the Progressive Parliamentarians Conference (CPP), composed of 52 deputies. Préval had attempted to win the CPP's support for Manuel at a meeting on the previous day. According to CPP spokesman Levaillant Louis Jeune, the group was only trying to "make sure the constitution is respected" in rejecting Manuel's nomination. October 21, 2009, Robert Manuel who speaks fluent Spanish, became ambassador of Haiti in Mexico. During the Haiti earthquake in 2010, Robert Manuel played an important role maintaining the Mexican media updated about the situation in Haiti.
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
an political figure who was an unsuccessful nominee to the post of Prime Minister of Haiti
Prime Minister of Haiti
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Haiti is the head of government of Haiti. The Prime Minister is appointed by the President and ratified by the National Assembly. He or she appoints the Ministers and Secretaries of State and goes before the National Assembly to obtain a vote of confidence for...
in 2008.
Manuel, a commercial architect, is regarded as an authority in law enforcement and security. He served as Secretary of State for Public Safety under President
President of Haiti
The President of the Republic of Haiti is the head of state of Haiti. Executive power in Haiti is divided between the president and the government headed by the Prime Minister of Haiti...
René Préval
René Préval
René Garcia Préval is a Haitian politician and agronomist who was the President of the Republic of Haiti from 14 May 2006 to 14 May 2011. He previously served as President from February 7, 1996, to February 7, 2001, and as Prime Minister from February 1991 to October 11, 1991.-Early life and...
from 1996 until he resigned at the request of Préval on October 7, 1999. Manuel and police chief Pierre Denize had been strongly opposed by supporters of Jean-Bertrand Aristide
Jean-Bertrand Aristide
Jean-Bertrand Aristide is a Haitian former Catholic priest and politician who served as Haiti's first democratically elected president. A proponent of liberation theology, Aristide was appointed to a parish in Port-au-Prince in 1982 after completing his studies...
, and Aristide's Lavalas
Lavalas
Lavalas, the Kréyòl word for "avalanche", may refer to:* The Lavalas Political Organization in Haiti, founded in 1991 by Jean-Bertrand Aristide and his supporters, later part of the Struggling People's Party...
party led protests against them in April and May 1999. He left Haiti soon afterwards and alleged that Aristide's supporters were attempting to destabilize the upcoming election. After Aristide was forced out of office during the February 2004 rebellion, Manuel returned to Haiti.
He is considered a friend of Préval, and he was Préval's campaign manager during the February 2006 presidential election, which was won by Préval. During Préval's second term (2006–present), Manuel has served as a presidential adviser. Critics have said that Manuel was behind harsh crackdowns on Aristide supporters.
After Prime Minister Jacques-Édouard Alexis
Jacques-Édouard Alexis
Jacques-Édouard Alexis is a Haitian politician. He served as the Prime Minister of Haiti from 1999 to 2001 and was Prime Minister for a second term from 2006 to 2008 when he was dismissed due to political fallout from food riots....
was defeated in a no-confidence vote in April 2008, Préval nominated Ericq Pierre
Ericq Pierre
Ericq Pierre is a Haitian economist working for the Inter-American Development Bank. He was unsuccessfully nominated as Prime Minister by President René Préval in 1997 and 2008....
to replace him, but Pierre's nomination was rejected by the Chamber of Deputies
Chamber of Deputies of Haïti
The Chamber of Deputies is the lower house of Haiti's bicameral legislature, the National Assembly. The upper house of the National Assembly is the Senate of Haiti. The Chamber has ninety-nine members who are elected by popular vote to four-year terms...
on 12 May 2008 due to a technicality with his citizenship papers. Préval then nominated Manuel, a presidential adviser, as Prime Minister late on May 25 during a meeting with the President of the Senate
Senate of Haiti
The Senate of Haiti is the upper house of Haiti's bicameral legislature, the National Assembly. The lower house of the National Assembly is the Chamber of Deputies. The Senate consists of thirty seats, with three members from each of the ten administrative departments. Prior to the creation of the...
and the President of the Chamber of Deputies.
The Chamber of Deputies rejected Manuel's nomination by a vote of 57 to 26, with 6 abstentions, on 13 June 2008, noting that he did not own property on Haiti and only registered to vote a day after formally being nominated to the post; both of those are necessary qualifications to becoming Prime Minister. The main group of deputies rejecting Manuel was the Progressive Parliamentarians Conference (CPP), composed of 52 deputies. Préval had attempted to win the CPP's support for Manuel at a meeting on the previous day. According to CPP spokesman Levaillant Louis Jeune, the group was only trying to "make sure the constitution is respected" in rejecting Manuel's nomination. October 21, 2009, Robert Manuel who speaks fluent Spanish, became ambassador of Haiti in Mexico. During the Haiti earthquake in 2010, Robert Manuel played an important role maintaining the Mexican media updated about the situation in Haiti.