In this 208th anniversary of the Battle of Vertières, date of the last battle of the indigenous army on the powerful French army of Napoleon Bonaparte, the President Michel Martelly on the Champ de Mars in front of a crowd delivered a patriotic speech to the nation, formally reiterating its commitments regarding the creation of the new defense force of the Republic of Haiti, he announced the establishment of a civil Commission responsible for giving substance to the file, to deliver in 40 days, the roadmap of this new military institution.

Extracts from the speech of the Haitian President Michel Joseph Martelly :

"Historically, November 18 is the commemoration of the Battle of Vertières, but symbolically, November 18 is the feast of the Haitian army [...]

This presence of foreign troops on Haitian soil, has led to the disappearance of an institution as old as the nation of Haiti, THE ARMY OF HAITI, de facto disappearance, but this institution is remains, constitutional [...]

Dear compatriots in this November 18, date inscribed in the 5th alienates section 275-1 of the current Constitution as the day of the forces army, I announce to Nation Haitian and to the World the creation of a civil Commission responsible for giving substance to the file of the new defense force of the Republic of Haiti. [...]

Meanwhile that a decree comes specifying the terms of reference of this new entity, I want to reassure each other, the protagonists as opponents of the immediate setting up, that the civil Commission is subject to the requirement of democratic participation. Consultations will be conducted with all sectors of national life, civil society, the business sector, the Parliament, the legal community, political parties, grassroots organizations, churches, etc...

The objective is to re design the Haitian Army, to reconcile it with the people, with the nation, with the democratic modernity, to deploy an army of the 21st century adapted to our actual needs, relieved of all duties and repressive functions and oriented towards the national development. [...]

For this preliminary work, I assign to the civil Commission a mandatory period of 40 days, so I can, on January 1, 2012, another highly symbolic date in our history of free and sovereign people, present to the nation of Haiti, the roadmap traced over the meetings and talks.

I stay and continue to believe that soon all of us, Haitian, we can regain our dignity, our pride of people and we can assure ourselves the peace throughout the country. [...]"

Full speech in French

https://www.haitilibre.com/article-4282-haiti-politique-discours-du-president-martelly-a-l-occasion-du-208e-anniversaire-de-vertiere.html

HL/ HaitiLibre