Carl Murat Cantave

Carl Murat Cantave is a Haitian politician who served as President of the Senate from 2019 to 2020.[1] He is a member of the KID party,[2] and represents the Artibonite department.[1] Cantave was first elected to the Senate in the 2015–16 Haitian parliamentary election, one of three KID candidates to win Senate seats that election, along with Dieupie Cherubin and Onondieu Louis.[2] He was elected President of the Senate on January 17, 2019, when he received 16 votes from the Senate, defeating his opponent Senator Pierre Francois Sildor, who received 12.[1]

After ex-Haitian rebel leader Guy Philippe was arrested on drug-trafficking charges and deported to the United States, Cantave led the push for a resolution "energetically condemning" the action, saying the Senate was "humiliated" by it.[3] Cantave was President of the Senate when Prime Minister Jean-Henry Céant was ousted,[4][5] and was involved with talks with President Jovenel Moïse about the choice of a new prime minister in 2019.[6] During contentious efforts to install Jean-Michel Lapin as Prime Minister, opposing senators accused Cantave of siding with the county's executive office in violation of the Constitution of Haiti; Senator Nènel Cassy said Cantave "has refused to listen to the voice of reason".[7]

Following Lapin's resignation, Cantave opposed Moïse's preferred candidate his replacement as Prime Minister, and instead Cantave and Lower Chamber President Gary Bodeau put Fritz-William Michel forward as a compromise.[8][9] Confirmation proceedings for Michel in 2019 were contentious, with politicians engaging in physical fights in the national assembly, and Cantave provided instructions to police that only senators would be allowed into the Senate precinct for the proceedings. Cantave himself was forced to retreat to his car as protesters threw rocks at him outside of Parliament, and his foundation offices in Gonaïves were attacked and destroyed during protests.[10]

Prior to his election to the Senate, Cantave worked as Minister of Health in Artibonite. During his time in that position, Cantave worked to secure financial assistance from nongovernmental organizations to renovate La Providence Hospital in Gonaïves after it was severely damaged by Hurricane Jeanne in September 2004.[11]

In 2017 Cantave introduced a measure banning same-sex marriages in Haiti. Offenders could face up to three years in prison. The measure would also make “public demonstration of support” for homosexuality illegal. The bill was approved by the Haitian Senate.[12]

In September 2019 Cantave was involved in a scandal concerning bribery accusations. Senator Sorel Jacinthe publicly accused Cantave of offering him and four other Senators money to vote in favor of President Jovenel Moïse's new prime minister Fritz William Michel. Cantave denied the accusations.[13][14]

References
  1. "Haiti : Carl Murat Cantave elected President of the Senate for 2019 Legislative year". Haiti Politique. January 18, 2019. Retrieved September 24, 2019.
  2. "Haitian opposition wins seven out of 12 senatorial seats". BBC Monitoring International Reports. November 13, 2015.
  3. Charles, Jacqueline; Weaver, Jay (March 16, 2017). "It took 12 years and 10 attempts to arrest ex-Haiti rebel leader Philippe, feds say". Miami Herald.
  4. Charles, Jacqueline (March 18, 2019). "Haiti's latest government falls after six months as lawmakers fire prime minister". Miami Herald.
  5. "Haitian government falls". CANANews. March 18, 2019.
  6. "HAITI-POLITICS-Three persons being considered for position of prime minister". CANANews. April 8, 2019.
  7. Charles, Jacqueline (May 30, 2019). "Haitian senators ransack Parliament in failed effort to ratify a new government". Miami Herald.
  8. Charles, Jacqueline (July 22, 2019). "Haiti's president nominates a new prime minister, his fourth in less than three years". Miami Herald.
  9. Charles, Jacqueline (August 6, 2019). "Haiti adrift as president faces impeachment hearing, prime minister in Twitter scandal". Miami Herald.
  10. Nicoll, Ruaridh (September 23, 2019). "Haiti: photojournalist shot in face as senator opens fire outside parliament". The Guardian. Retrieved September 24, 2019.
  11. Reed, Marvin (February 16, 2008). "Mission project to Haiti grows and grows and...". The Pueblo Chieftain.
  12. "Haitian Senate approves bill to ban same-sex marriage". Washington Blade: Gay News, Politics, LGBT Rights. 2017-08-03. Retrieved 2019-12-17.
  13. "Haiti Senator Says He Was Offered Cash for Yes Vote on Prime Minister". Voice of America. Retrieved 2019-12-17.
  14. Charles, Jacqueline. "That there is corruption in Haiti isn't a surprise. But then a senator admitted it openly". Miami Herald.
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