Michel Martelly's Presidential Power cannot waive Crimes against Humanity
by Kevin Edmonds and Roger Annis, Haiti Liberte, June 22, 2011 The inauguration of Haiti?s President Michel Martelly on May 14 should sound an alarm for those concerned with human rights, justice, and the rule of law in the country. In a pre-inaugural interview with the Montreal daily La Presse on Apr. 18, Martelly put forward a plan of national reconciliation which would include granting amnesty to former Haitian ruler Jean-Claude Duvalier. Martelly later backed away from this idea on advice from his counsel. But his connections to the former dictator present potential obstacles to ongoing efforts to prosecute him. In the La Presse interview, reporter Vincent Marissal asked about the return to Haiti this year of Mr. Duvalier and of former president Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Martelly stated: "I say to them welcome, and we favor reconciliation and inclusion..." On amnesty, he said: "Before thinking about this, we must work on awareness and compassion to understand the victi