On the Necessity of a New Constitution: Haiti Deserves Better Than the Din

The preliminary draft of the new Constitution is finally available. Yes, I did say preliminary draft. It's a word that must be heard and understood: a working document, a draft, a basis for reflection, intended to be enriched, corrected, discussed, transformed. It is the starting point, not the destination.

A preliminary draft is neither an absolute truth nor a fixed text. It is the result of an effort, a desire to propose a new foundation for a country that desperately needs one. In Haiti, we constantly speak of refoundation, renewal, and a break with the established disorder — but when an attempt emerges, it is immediately attacked, often with surprising violence, sometimes with contempt, rarely with constructive proposals.

Since the publication of this preliminary draft, the debate has turned into a battlefield. Virulent criticisms rain down like kamikaze drones. Strong words, sometimes hurtful, often exaggerated, take precedence over serious analysis and a constructive spirit. There is talk of a “constitutional coup d’état,” an “obscene” text, the “marginalization of the diaspora,” and Haiti becoming “ungovernable.” One academic even claims to have “lost sleep” over it.

And yet, it is only a preliminary draft.

This moment, instead of being a time of division, should be one of collective intelligence. It is a time for debate, not contempt. A time for listening, not rejection. A time for ideas, not insults. If we want to offer our country a Constitution that reflects its deep aspirations, we must sit together — intellectuals, jurists, citizens, members of the diaspora, men and women of good faith — and propose, amend, improve.

It is not about defending a text as if it were perfect. It is not. No preliminary draft is. It is about recognizing the necessity of providing Haiti with a new Constitution, and working together to develop a text that is worthy, modern, balanced, and commensurate with our history, our culture, our diversity, and our future.

We are at a crossroads. Will we squander this opportunity in a din of rejection, or will we elevate the debate and build a Constitution with seriousness, rigor, and hope?

History is watching us. Our children are too.

Emmanuel Jean François