Actualités

Depute Jerry Tardieu, a hometown hero

It took some personal persuasion for a member of the Haitian parliament to appease the frustrations of some attendees at a town hall meeting held at Brasserie Creole last night (Sunday June 30th) . While the guest speaker, Depute Jerry Tardieu, came with an olive branch decrying the systemic corruption in all branches of the present Haitian government, he was himself being assailed with a few stones, slings and arrows mixed with unfounded accusations from a small group of individuals expressing rather vociferously their countervailing arguments. Throughout all the ensuing cacophony, I must admit, he remained calm, cool and collected. At the end, he was able to restore a climate of constructive criticism with a great deal of cordiality and civility. A great lesson in adversarial process in applied democracy. Kudos to Deputy Tardieu!!

As a member of the Diaspora, I can understand such public display of resentment at anyone associated with this inept and incompetent national leader. However, while the lack of decency and morality on the part of the legislative body has also sparked widespread public outrage, Depute Jerry Tardieu should be credited for being an intrepid warrior confronting at home an army with swords, spears and javelin at the Haitian Parliament to defend the right of the Haitian Diaspora to vote, to be counted and be represented in the halls of Haiti’s Chamber of representatives.
Like all the other participants in this town hall meeting, he has given me a new lift of optimism. I have personally invested a lifetime of dreams and faced daunting challenges pursuing this strong belief that Haiti will, once again, reborn from its ashes. By playing a “David-vs-Goliath” role, Depute Tardieu, a relatively young brilliant politician has, for two years, consistently pleaded our cause for fair representation. He, therefore, should be hailed as our voice of reason in this group concocting  personal schemes at the legislative branch of government. This is a rarity we should all relish.

As he is about to face the ravenous lions and bears in the defense of our right to fair taxation, inclusion and representation in the next few weeks, we should all join him in this epic battle. As you all know, popular revolt breeds changes quickly. It is about time the Haitian Diaspora, with all its might, flexes its powerful muscles. It is the only lifeline left to uplift the country from this precipitous depth of despair. Let’s send a resounding voice of support for the Commission’s recommendation to all Haitian politicians to stop their exclusionary policy and include us as a new breed of warriors ready to help develop Haiti. We should watch carefully and take note of all those among the Senators and other representatives who are the “Enemies of the Haitian expatriates” meaning the large body of Haitians dispersed throughout the world, willing and ready to work, invest and build the country we all love dearly.
All those who are driven by the demands of their conscience to do what is morally right is a friend of ours. We are watching and hoping that common decency will ultimately prevail in the halls of government. 

Lesly Kernisant, M.D., FACOG

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