Haiti’s pop star-turned-president, Michel Martelly, asked his people on Saturday to join him in rebuilding their poor, earthquake-ravaged nation and said he would work to provide jobs, health and education.
“Haiti was sleeping and today Haiti is waking up ... that’s the mandate you gave me and, trust me, things will change,” the charismatic shaven-headed former entertainer said in his first speech after taking the presidential oath of office.
A big crowd roared approval of his words in Creole as they pressed against the railings of the crumbled white-domed presidential palace, which was badly damaged in last year’s devastating earthquake that killed more than 300,000 people.
Photo: AFP
Speaking under a pavilion erected on the palace lawn, Martelly, 50, who is known as “Sweet Micky” and had no previous government experience, stressed the populist promise of change that swept him to victory in a March 20 presidential runoff.
“Hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder, we’re going to change Haiti, rebuild this country to make it stronger,” he said.
His speech was heralded by a ceremonial blowing of conch shells, the crude trumpets used by the black slaves who rose up in a revolt that led to Haiti’s independence from France in 1804.
In the small, but volatile Caribbean nation with a history of revolts and dictatorships, the inauguration marked the first time a democratically elected Haitian president handed over power to a freely elected leader from the opposition.
Martelly also sought to reassure foreign donors who have pledged more than US$10 billion — most of it still undelivered — for Haiti’s reconstruction. He promised security and guarantees for investments and private property owners.
Shouldering the daunting task of reconstruction in one of the world’s poorest and most disaster-prone countries, Martelly earlier donned the red and blue presidential sash in a prefabricated UN-supplied structure erected on the site of the old parliament building destroyed in last year’s earthquake.
Reflecting the rebuilding challenges facing the nation, a power outage left the swearing-in ceremony in semi-darkness.
Among supporters at the inauguration was fellow musician and Haitian-American hip-hop star Wyclef Jean, who said Haitians were enthused by Martelly’s dynamic promise of change.
“It means a new start ... the people want education, not handouts. Now they have a leader who will mobilize then,” Jean said, comparing Martelly’s election victory with that of US President Barack Obama in November 2008.
In his inaugural speech, Martelly repeated his promises to transform Haiti from a development basket case into a new Caribbean destination for investment and tourism that will provide jobs and better lives for its 10 million people.
“We need to build a Haiti where health is not a luxury, a Haiti that is not made of slums,” he said, adding he would also work to provide free education to every Haitian child.
Managing high expectations, especially from the hundreds of thousands of destitute quake survivors who need jobs and homes, will be one of his biggest challenges.
Martelly, who proposes restoring Haiti’s disbanded army to eventually replace the more than 12,000 UN peacekeepers in his country, said he would not tolerate unrest or violence.
“No more kidnapping, no more violence against women, no more injustice,” he said, ordering the police and judicial system to take a tough line against offenders.
Joining outgoing Haitian president Rene Preval at the inauguration ceremony were the presidents of the Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, Honduras and Suriname, as well as other Caribbean leaders and representatives of major donor nations.
Former US president Bill Clinton, the UN special envoy to Haiti, led the US delegation. French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe represented his country.
Martelly won a popular mandate in a sometimes turbulent election protected by UN peacekeepers. The vote was steered through by the international community led by the US, which persuaded local electoral officials to rectify several suspected fraud cases.
Among other challenges facing Martelly is a seven-month-old cholera epidemic that has taken almost 5,000 lives since October last year and is still killing sick Haitians. There is a threat the approaching rainy season could revive it.
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