Jacques-Édouard Alexis

Infobox Prime Minister
name = Jacques-Édouard Alexis


imagesize =
caption =
order = Prime Minister of Haiti
president = René Préval
term_start = 09 June 2006
term_end = 05 September 2008
successor = Michele Pierre-Louis
predecessor = Gérard Latortue
president2 = René Préval
Jean-Bertrand Aristide
term_start2 = 26 March 1999
term_end2 = 02 March 2001
predecessor2 = Rosny Smarth
successor2 = Jean Marie Chérestal
birth_date = birth date and age|1947|09|21|df=y
birth_place = Gonaïves, Haiti

Jacques-Édouard Alexis (born 21 September 1947) is a Haitian politician. He served as the Prime Minister of Haiti from 1999 to 2001 and has been Prime Minister for a second time from 2006 to 2008, when he was dismissed due food riots.

Early life and career

Alexis was born in Gonaïves, Haiti on September 21, 1947.fr icon [http://primature.gouv.ht/bio.php Curriculum vitae of Jacques-Édouard Alexis] . Haitian Office of the Prime Minister.] He attended school at Lycée Geffrard in Gonaïves (1959–1964) and later Lycée Toussaint Louverture in Port-au-Prince (1964-1966). He received a degree in agricultural engineering from the State University of Haiti in 1973.

After graduation, Alexis held a series of jobs in academia. He was an assistant professor of chemistry at the State University of Haiti from 1973 to 1976 and a teaching and research assistant at Université Laval, Québec, Canada, from 1977 to 1978, earning his master of science degree in food science and technology from Université Laval in 1979. He was then a professor of food technology and post-harvest technology at the State University of Haiti (1979-1987), a professor of post-harvest technology and human nutrition at Ecole Moyenne d’Agriculture (1979–1985), and Dean of the Faculty of Agronomy and Veterinary Medicine at the State University of Haiti (1985-1987). Between 1987 and 1990, he coordinated the founding of the University of Quisqueya, where he served as the school's first rector from 1990 to 1995.

Under President René Préval, Alexis served in the government as the Minister of National Education, Youth, and Sport (1996-1999), Minister of Culture (1997-1999), and Minister of the Interior and Territorial Communities (1999-2000).

As Prime Minister

First term

Alexis was nominated as Prime Minister by Préval on July 16, 1998, following congressional rejections of three prior nominees that had resulted in a year-long political crisis. [ [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B07EFD71630F935A25754C0A96E958260 "President of Haiti Nominates a Premier"] . "New York Times" (July 16, 1998).] His nomination was preliminarily ratified by the Senate on December 15 and by the Chamber of Deputies on December 17 despite an unfavorable report regarding his management of funds as Minister of Education. [ [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A01EEDB163EF936A35752C1A96E958260 "Haiti's Would-Be Premier Gets Poor Report"] . "New York Times" (November 5, 1998).] [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B06E6D61F3DF93AA25751C1A96E958260 "Haiti's Parliament Approves New Premier"] . "New York Times" (December 19, 1998).] Completion of the ratification process requires ratification of the nominee's proposed cabinet and general policy;McKinley, James C., Jr. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C07EFDF1131F936A25752C0A96F958260 "Haitian Leader's Foes Raise the Specter of Dictatorship"] . "New York Times" (January 15, 1999).] Alexis's final ratification was delayed by the insistence of opposition leaders that they receive cabinet posts. Parliament passed a bill extending their term so that they could continue the ratification process, but Préval denied that they had authority to do so, announcing on January 11 (the final day of the parliamentary session) that he intended to bypass Parliament and form a government by decree. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A01E5DF1231F930A25752C0A96F958260 "Haiti Leader to Rule by Decree; an Attack Follows"] . "New York Times" (January 13, 1999).] Opposition parties accused Préval of having staged a bloodless coup and considered Alexis an illegitimate prime minister. [Crossette, Barbara. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C01E5DE153BF934A1575BC0A96F958260 "Facing Haiti Pullout, U.N. Tries New Mission"] . "New York Times" (August 27, 1999).] Alexis served as Prime Minister from 26 March 1999 to 7 February 2001.

econd term

Préval was re-elected in February 2006, and he again nominated Alexis as Prime Minister on 17 May 2006, three days after taking office as President. [ [http://www.angus-reid.com/tracker/view/7164 "Haiti"] . Angus Reid Global Monitor.] The nomination was ratified almost unanimously by both houses of parliament, and Alexis and his government were sworn in on 9 June 2006. His second government consisted of a coalition of six parties, including Préval's Lespwa party, the Fusion of Haitian Social Democrats, the Struggling People's Organization, and Jean-Bertrand Aristide's Fanmi Lavalas party. [cite web|url=http://www.diplo.de/diplo/en/Laenderinformationen/01-Laender/Haiti.html|title=German embassy in Haiti - webpage] His stated policy objectives included the restoration of security in the country and the provision of basic services to citizens. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/country_profiles/1202772.stm "Country profile: Haiti"] . BBC News.]

Resignation

Criticism of Alexis's economic policies led to a no-confidence vote in February 2008, which Alexis survived. [Lacey, Mark. [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/23/world/americas/23haiti.html "Haiti’s Poverty Stirs Nostalgia for Old Ghosts"] . "New York Times" (March 23, 2008).] Riots broke out in early April 2008 regarding high food prices, and Alexis announced an investment program designed to lower the cost of living. [ [http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/EF148E23-958B-45A1-956D-FEDAC8847D05.htm "Haiti reels from food protests"] . Al Jazeera (April 7, 2008).] On April 10, it was announced that the 16 Senators (a majority, as there are 30 seats in Haiti's Senate) had signed a letter advising Alexis to resign within two days. The letter described Alexis's proposals to resolve the economic crisis as "too little, too late" and said that "it is obvious that the majority of the people don't believe any more in the capacity of your government to take courageous measures to ease the misery that the population is facing daily." [ [http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/D33E1E37-5999-4610-918A-DBFA5542EDA1.htm "Haiti senators call on PM to quit"] . Al Jazeera (April 10, 2008).] The Senate then voted unanimously to dismiss Alexis on April 12, with all of the 16 Senators present in favor. Préval said that he would consult with Parliament to choose a new Prime Minister, but he also said that Alexis had done his best and should not receive all the blame for the situation. [ [http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hL0HvIfNZQ2nMgFdy9dSKLZ7t2Gw "Haiti PM ousted over soaring food prices"] , AFP, April 12, 2008.]

Personal life

Alexis is married and has five children.

References