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Haiti GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS
Government: Dynastic dictatorship of the
Duvalier
family ended in February 1986, when Jean-Claude Duvalier
fled in
face of popular revolt. He was succeeded by five-member
National
Council of Government (Conseil National de
Gouvernement--CNG),
made up of two military officers and three civilians.
Members of
constituent assembly, elected by popular vote in October
1986,
produced new constitution ratified by plebiscite on March
29,
1987. Presidential elections held on November 29, 1987,
disrupted
by violent attacks perpetrated mainly by former members of
Duvalier's paramilitary organization, the tonton
makouts.
Armed forces administered subsequent presidential
balloting on
January 17, 1988. In balloting marked by nonparticipation
by
major candidates and low voter turnout, Leslie F. Manigat
elected
president. Manigat overthrown on June 20, 1988, by
military coup
led by Lieutenant General Henri Namphy, who had headed
CNG.
Namphy suspended 1987 Constitution and ruled as dictator.
Lieutenant General Prosper Avril, backed by significant
faction
of noncommissioned officer corps, overthrew Namphy on
September
17, 1988. Avril partially reinstated 1987 Constitution in
March
1989 and survived coup attempt in April 1989 by officers
with
Duvalierist ties. Avril promised elections and paid lip
service
to democracy but essentially ruled as a military dictator.
Politics: Long history of rule by military
leaders and
dictators. François Duvalier, elected September 1957 in
fairest
direct elections in country's history, went on to
establish
dictatorship based on terror, manipulation, and
co-optation of
citizenry mainly through mechanism of the tonton
makouts.
After Duvalier's death in 1971, power passed to his son,
JeanClaude , whose excessive corruption and cronyism drained
country's
resources. Riots beginning in October 1985 overwhelmed the
indecisive Duvalier and prompted military conspirators to
demand
his resignation and flight into exile in February 1986.
PostDuvalier instability attributable to weakness of nation's
institutions and to complete inexperience with pluralistic
democratic government.
International Relations: Focused mainly on
United
States, country's leading trade partner and
(traditionally) major
source of foreign aid, and neighboring Dominican Republic.
International condemnation of Duvalier regime isolated
country
during 1960s and 1970s. Jean-Claude's economic policies,
calculated to attract foreign investment and tourism,
relieved
this isolation to some extent. Relations with other Latin
American and Caribbean countries limited by linguistic and
cultural disparities.
International Agreements and Membership: Party
to
Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance (Rio
Treaty). Also
member of United Nations, Organization of American States,
InterAmerican Development Bank,
World Bank (see Glossary),
International Monetary Fund (see Glossary), and General
Agreement
on Tariffs and Trade.
Data as of December 1989
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