The 'Senate of Haiti' () is the
upper house of
Haiti's
bicameral legislature, the
National Assembly. The
lower house of the National Assembly is the
Chamber of Deputies. The Senate consists of thirty seats, with three members from each of the ten administrative
departments. Prior to the creation of the
Nippes Department in 2003, there were twenty-seven seats. Senators are elected by popular vote to six-year terms, with one-third elected every two years. There are no
term limits for Senators; they may be re-elected indefinitely.
After the
elections of 2000, twenty-six of the then twenty-seven seats were held by
Jean-Bertrand Aristide's
Fanmi Lavalas party. The Senate was not in session following the
overthrow of Aristide's government in February 2004. An interim government was put in place following the rebellion, and the remaining Senators were not recognised during that time. The Senate was re-established and elections were held on
21 April 2006. The next elections are scheduled to occur in 2008, when one-third of the Senate seats will be open.
References
★
Haiti
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Haiti: A Basic Reference Book, , Patricia, Schutt-Ainé, Librairie Au Service de la Culture, , ISBN 0-9638599-0-0