USAID Provides New Space for Haitian Parliament
Semi-permanent facility helps restore functioning as legislative season approaches.
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"The Haitian Parliament, which has a critical role in building a better Haiti, now has a location befitting its importance to good democratic governance on behalf of the Haitian people."
—Kenneth H. Merten
U.S. Ambassador to Haiti
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Ever since the January 2010 earthquake destroyed Haiti's Parliament building, the legislature has lacked a designated space to convene, stymieing governance and hindering recovery efforts. Following an assessment of the devastation, USAID committed to providing the legislature with a new, semi-permanent facility to restore normal functioning.
On November 21, 2011, USAID representatives joined President Michel Martelly and members of the Haitian Senate and Chamber of Deputies to celebrate the inauguration of the Parliament complex. "We are happy and proud to inaugurate the transitional buildings for the Parliament," said Senate President Rodolphe Joazile.
The new structures contain 22,000 square feet of office space, as well as a common room for general assembly. The initiative also provided the facility with high-powered generators for backup electricity, outdoor solar lamps, landscaped grounds, and a security fence.
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| Officials gather for the inauguration of Haiti's temporary Parliament buildings.
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Although the buildings are temporary, the Haitian Parliament will use them for several years, until a permanent structure is constructed.
The ceremony marked the first time in nearly two years that both legislative bodies had met under the same roof. Since the earthquake, most parliamentary meetings have taken place in prefabricated structures assembled by the U.N. Stabilization Mission.
The new facility stands as a positive symbol of the reconstruction. As Parliament prepares to reconvene this January with an ambitious legislative agenda, the buildings inspire confidence in the Government of Haiti and optimism for the year ahead.
For further information, please contact:
OTI Haiti Team, DCHA.OTIHaitiDCProgramManagers@usaid.gov.
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