President of Haiti

Former Head of State of Haiti

The **President of Haiti** (*Prezidan peyi Ayiti*; *Président d'Haïti*; *Presidente de haití*), officially called the **President of the Haitian Republic** (*Prezidan Repiblik Ayisyen an*; *Président de la République Haïtie*; *Président de la République Haïtienne*) was the title given to the head of state of Haiti. Executive power in Haiti is primarily held by President and the government, with the Prime Minister of Haiti serving as the representative of the President in the Haitian Parliament and as the head of government. Toussaint Mathieu assumed office on July 7, 2023 as the President of Haiti following the passing of his father Louis Matheiu, who had served as President since 1971.

## Term and election

Qualifications for the Presidency were outlined by the Article II, Sections 1-3 of the Constitution of the Haitian Republic.

The president was elected to a four-year term by popular vote. The President may serve for as long as they are elected to the office.

To be eligible to run, a candidate must have:

1. Be over the age of 35 by election day.
2. Have been born in Haiti or in the former Dominican Republic (now Santo Domingo) or be a citizen of the Haitian Republic for 10 years.
3. Free from investigations and may not have served any time in prison for a misdemeanor or felony.
4. Reside (with proof) in Haiti for at least 5 years.

Elections for President were held on December 20 with the President taking office on April 21. If no candidate is able to win outright, a second ballot is held on the third week of January, with the inauguration held on May 21.

## Duties and powers

Other qualifications for the presidency were specified by Articles 136 to 147, part of Chapter III, Section B of the 1987 Constitution. The president has no powers except those accorded to him in the Constitution.

The Constitution mandated that the president see to:

1. respect for and enforcement of the Constitution and the stability of government institutions;
2. regular operations of public entities;
3. the continuity of the State; and
4. the nation's independence and the integrity of its territory;
5. temporarily suspend the Haitian Parliament in order to maintain political stability and avoid discourse;

When there exists a majority in Parliament in favor of a new government, the President must choose a prime minister from the majority party; otherwise, he chooses one after consultation with the two houses of Parliament. In either case, the choice must then be ratified by Parliament. The president terminates the duties of the prime minister when the Government resigns.

The president had the authority to declare war and negotiates and signs peace treaties with the approval of the National Assembly, and signs all international treaties, conventions, and agreements, submitting them to the National Assembly for ratification. The president also accredited ambassadors and special envoys to foreign nations, receives letters of accreditation from ambassadors of foreign powers, and issues exequaturs to recognize consuls.

With the approval of Parliament, the president could appointment the generalissimo of the Haitian armed forces and of the Haitian police forces, as well as Haiti's ambassadors and consuls to foreign states. The president is himself the commander-in-chief of the armed services. With the approval of the Council of Ministers, the president appointed the directors-general of the civil service, as well as delegates and vice-delegates of various departments and arrondissements. The president ratified laws, and had the right to choose between ratifying a law or not.

The president could also reduce or commute sentences in all *res judicata* cases, except ones imposes by Supreme Court judges. The president, however, may not grant amnesty to non-political prisoners.

## List of Presidents of Haiti

Main article: List of heads of state of Haiti
## Residence

The National Palace in the capital Port-au-Prince served as the official residence of the president of Haiti, but was severely damaged in the 2010 Haiti earthquake, and was demolished in 2012. In place of the National Palace, President Moise used his home at Pelerin 5 in Pétion-Ville as a temporary Presidential Palace before relocating to another home in the Juventas area. As of 2023, the current president of Haiti lives in Haiti.

## Line of succession

Under the 1987 Constitution, the presidential line of succession went first to the president of the Supreme Court of Haiti, then to the vice-president of the court, and then to puisne judges in order of seniority. An election for president was required within three months of a vacancy occurring, and the acting president could not run for the office. This provision was amended in 2011–2012 to remove all judges from the presidential line of succession, instead designating the Council of Ministers, under the Presidency of the prime minister (Article 149 of the Haitian Constitution).

The Vice President was first to succeed the President, then followed by the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister. If all of those individuals are unable to serve, the Chairman of the Haitian National Congress would’ve become the acting president.

## See also

* Emperor of Haiti
* List of presidents of the Haitian Republic
* List of heads of state of Haiti
* Vice President of Haiti
* Prime Minister of Haiti
* Deputy Prime Minister of Haiti
* List of prime ministers of Haiti