While on Saturday a new fiscal year begins, the draft 2016-2017 budget has still not been ratified by the Senate. Moreover, in less than 60 days if the law on money laundering and terrorist financing, as well as amending the Organic Law of UCREF are not voted and the measures in place, Haiti risk the international financial isolation.

This Wednesday is expected to hold another meeting in the Senate Assembly to try to vote these important laws. However there is no guarantee that this meeting will meet the necessary quorum (Senators are campaigning for the elections, others support on the ground of candidates), or that these laws are passed.

While it is true that some minority senators make political deadlock by not recognizing the constitutional legitimacy of the de facto President Privert, others fear that certain elements of the law on money laundering restrict individual freedoms and are in disagreement with the text ratified by the deputies https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-18560-haiti-politic-the-deputies-voted-the-law-on-money-laundering.html

In particular Article 38 which had already been challenged in the draft law (ratified in September 2013, also under the threat of sanctions against Haiti), because of the challenge to the principle of confidentiality the article stipulate "or the purpose of obtaining evidence of money laundering or terrorist financing within the framework of the law, the investigating judge may during an investigation, ordered for a fixed term, the monitoring of a bank account [...] It may also order access to systems, networks and servers; audio or video recording or the photography of acts and actions or conversations; the interception and seizure of mail [...]" or another article which allowed the extradition of a person convicted of money laundering...

Ronald Larèche, the President of the Senate urged his colleagues to be present on Wednesday to fulfill their obligations to the Nation.

See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-18560-haiti-politic-the-deputies-voted-the-law-on-money-laundering.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-18553-haiti-politic-ratification-of-important-legislation-failure-in-the-senate.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-18457-haiti-flash-the-situation-is-critical-transfers-and-haitian-banking-system-threatened.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-18441-haiti-flash-us-threat-on-money-transfers-to-haiti.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-9411-haiti-politic-the-law-on-transnational-fraud-finally-passed.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-7626-haiti-economy-the-parliament-has-until-march-31-2013-to-avoid-the-worst-to-haiti.html

SL/ HaitiLibre