Changing the Constitution is Far from a National Priority, According to René Civil

The national secretary of the Patriotic Emergence party considers the efforts to liquidate the country's resources and the decision to change the constitution as a political maneuver. In an exclusive interview with the online newspaper Le Relief, René Civil stated that changing the constitution is hardly a priority for the Haitian population, which is going through an unparalleled humanitarian crisis. Lerelief: You have probably already read the draft text of the new constitution, what does it inspire in you? René Civil: Of course, I have read it. I believe it is an approach that aims to nullify everything upon which the Haitian nation is founded. The document subtly attempts to concentrate the power of an infantilized president. How can we accept that someone can become president of the Republic at 30 years old? Without life experience, but also without experience of the State. I'm not even talking about the other flaws of this new constitution. Lerelief: Don't you think this would be a great step forward in promoting youth? The Haitian population is predominantly young. René Civil: Oh! Yes, it would be good to propel youth to the highest sphere of the State with their innovative ideas and vigor. But without political experience, without knowledge of real life… at 30, a young person has barely left university; the system's proponents will try to manipulate them to gain the ability to liquidate the country's resources and allow foreigners to own land in Haiti. Lerelief: Do you think the international community is hidden behind these maneuvers? René Civil: I don't think it's hidden behind them; it is the very origin of this desire to change the 1987 constitution. It is clear that it was based on the 1987 constitution that the Senate, under Laurent Lamothe's governance, prevented Clinton from buying land in Port-de-Paix, containing mineral resources, in his own name. This new constitution is also a revenge against the Senate. Read the text carefully and you will see what has become of the Senate. Lerelief: Many argue that the 1987 constitution is a source of instability. Do you see any drawback if updates were made to it? René Civil: Amendments, yes… for example, in the United States, the constitution has never been changed; amendments are made to adapt it to the new demands of times and generations. In Haiti, all crises are linked to changing the constitution, whereas the one in force has never been used wisely. Rather, leaders have interpreted or even exploited some articles for their personal cause. Lerelief: According to you, there is no reason to address this subject yet? René Civil: We are at war. First, an existential war so as not to disappear as a people, because behind all this lies a desire to annex Haiti to the Dominican Republic and create a white Hispaniola island. That is a much deeper aspect that we can address later. We are also at war against insecurity, misery, and subhuman conditions in internal displacement camps. The situation is serious, so changing the constitution is the least of the worries for a people experiencing humiliation everywhere in the world. Lerelief: So what should be done? René Civil: The bet can be won; we only need a critical mass of people aware of their responsibility towards future generations. Interview by Jean Mapou