Diario las Américas., 1958-07-22
Know thy
Neighbot
By ANTONIO RUIZ
KNOW THY NEIGHBoR Lii

KNOW THY NEIGHBOR Lily
HAITI According to the pro-
visions Of the Constitution of Hal
ii, the structure OF the government
is democratic and republican, and
is divided into the three custom.
airy branches: legislative, executive
and judicial. The Administration
of the local governments or "com.
munes" is under direct control Of
the President, Acts, laws, DEGREES,
and other official announcements
of the Haitian Government are
published in lie Moniteur", is.
sued at Port-Au Prince. Under the
Constitution, all Haitian citizens
are equal before the law; all en-.
joy equal civil rights; and are
equally eligible for civil employ
ment and military service.
A 1914 amendment abolished
certain distinctions between ma.
tives and ~naturalized persons in
the exercise of civil rights, which
previously had legal sanction. The
right to hold private property is
guaranteed to citizens and resi-
dents aliens, providing however,
that the property Of the resident
alien shall revert to the State at
the end of one year after he has
given up his residence in the
country, or in the case of indus.
trial property owned by an alien
corporation, one year after it has
ceased to operate.
The Constitution permits free.
dom of the press and religion, re.
quires a secret electoral ballot,
provides for universal suffrage for
men who have reached the age of
81 and prohibits the death penalty
for political crimes other than
treason. Primary education is
obligatory, and it is stipulated that
the State shall offer free public
instruction through secondary lie.
vel.
The legislative body consists of
the Chamber of Deputies and the
Senate, which convene annually at
Port-Au-Prince on the 14th of
January and remain in session for
three months. The houses meet
separately except to carry out
special functions; in the latter
case the bicameral zession is
known as the National Assembly.
The legislative branch is empow.
cred to enact laws regulating
everything concerning public in.
terest. Initiation of laws is shared
with the executive branch, which
reserves to itself the right to in.
troduce bills providing for public
expenditures, although the legis.
lature may approve or reject the
national budgets, it may not in.
creas them.
The primary functions of the
National Assembly are to elect the
President; to enact constitutional
amendments for subsequent pop.
ular ratification to accede to or
override presidential vetoes; to
authorize the President to declare
war, and to approve or reject
peace treaties or other %interna.
tioanl conventions submitted by
the Executive Al the close of each
legislative session, the National
Assembly appoints, subject to ex-
ecutive approval, a Permanent
Committee of six deputies and five
senator's whose functions is to aid
the President in formulating exc.
cutive decree,laws issued between
sessions of the legislative.
Members of the Chamber of De-
puties are normally elected by
popular vote, but the President
may fill vacancies among duly
elected deputies and senators in
eases OF death, etc. Deputies must
be rs years old or more, and in
full enjoyment of civil and plitic-
al rights. The 1914 amendments
to the Constitution gave women
of 80 or more years of age the
right to become deputies or sen.
ators.
Spanish Version Pag. 8,