Wednesday, October 12, 2005

Haiti: This is mildly profound

A Haitian-born U.S. businessman may run for president, Haiti's highest court ruled Tuesday in a decision the would-be candidate said marked a turning point in the roles expatriate Haitians could play in their homeland.

The elections will be the first since a February 2004 revolt toppled President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, the first democratically elected president in the country that has suffered decades of civilian and military dictatorships and coups.

Presidential and legislative elections were scheduled Nov. 20, but elections officials have said preparations are behind schedule and the vote likely will be postponed for up to a month.

The provisional Electoral Council had ruled that Dumarsais Simeus, owner of a food services company in Mansfield, Texas, could not run in the election because he is a U.S. citizen.

But the Supreme Court's five judges ruled he could run because the electoral commission had not produced documents to prove Simeus had given up his Haitian citizenship, the court's chief clerk Andre Bignon said.

The provisional Electoral Council likely will challenge the decision, council lawyer Andre Joel Petithomme told The Associated Press.

"This decision is completely illegal, the court did not even let us to talk," Petithomme said.

Simeus said his candidacy would allow new roles in Haitian politics for Haitians abroad.

Read the miniscule rest here.

Haiti is not exactly a world leader in anything. However, the prospect of American citizens that have not given up their native citizenship being able to become president of another country is...weird. I wonder where else this is possible.


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