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Haitian President-Elect: 'Change is Coming'

   VOA News  April 21, 2011
   Haiti's President-elect Michel Martelly greets supporters after holding
   a news conference at the National Press Club in Washington, Apr 21 2011

Photo: AP

   Haiti's President-elect Michel Martelly greets supporters after holding
   a news conference at the National Press Club in Washington, Apr 21 2011

   Haitian President-elect Michel Martelly says change is coming to Haiti
   when he is sworn in on May 14.
   At a news conference in Washington Thursday, Martelly said his focus as
   Haiti's new president will be to revive and modernize the country's
   economy, to provide free access to education and to move victims of
   last year's earthquake out of tents by jumpstarting reconstruction.
   Martelly said he also plans to strengthen Haiti's agricultural sector.
   Haiti's Electoral Council announced late Wednesday that Martelly won
   the March 20 presidential runoff election with nearly 68 percent of the
   vote. The release of the official results had been delayed several
   times.
   Thursday, Martelly stressed the importance of loans for Haiti to
   accomplish the reforms and economic stimulus it needs. He said Haitians
   "do not want handouts, they want opportunities to create wealth."
   Martelly said that once he takes office, his government will do an
   assessment to ensure that foreign aid is going to the people. He said
   the lack of infrastructure and basic services is evidence that the
   money financial institutions have raised for Haiti has not been "well
   spent."
   Haiti is still recovering from the January 2010 earthquake, with
   hundreds of thousands of people still living in tent cities as
   hurricane season approaches. The country is also suffering from a
   deadly cholera epidemic.
   At the news conference Thursday, Martelly described his visit to the
   U.S. as "very productive." He said he discussed Haiti's priorities with
   U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, including its goal of
   attracting foreign investment.
   The Haitian president-elect said the country also needs to build up its
   state institutions, saying it must change from its current status as
   the "republic of NGOs."
   On Wednesday, after meeting with Secretary Clinton, Martelly said he
   has "huge challenges" ahead of him.
   He said reconstruction is "despairingly slow" 15 months after the
   earthquake left much of the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, in ruins
   and killed more than 200,000 people.
   Clinton said that although 20 percent of the rubble has been cleared,
   there is still a lot more to remove.
   Martelly also warned that the cholera epidemic that has already killed
   thousands could spread to the entire country during the upcoming rainy
   season if it is not contained. He said the country is expected to face
   up to 16 hurricanes when hurricane season starts June 1.

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