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Haiti: The Mochrena party; socio-economic groups and geographic areas of Haiti that support it; the part of the country its elected members represent; political activities and organizational structure; treatment of its members by the Préval government (1998-2008)

The Mochrena Party

The Christian Movement for a New Haiti (Mouvement chrétien pour une nouvelle Haïti), known as Mochrena (or Mochrenha), was founded in 1998 (France 15 Oct. 2005, 27; Le Matin 22 Nov. 2007). Several sources name Luc Mésadieu as the party's leader (ibid.; France 15 Oct. 2005, 27; US 23 Oct. 2008; PHW 2008 2008, 546; Europa 2008 2008, 2129), and some of the same sources also indicate that Gilbert Léger is a co-leader (ibid.; France 15 Oct. 2005, 27; PHW 2008 2008, 546).

Mochrena supporters

France's Refugee Appeals Board (Commission des recours des réfugiés, CRR) describes Mochrena as a right-leaning Protestant party that was part of the Democratic Convergence (Convergence démocratique), an informal coalition of diverse opposition parties (France 15 Oct. 2005, 24-25; Haiti Democracy Project 30 Sept. 2005) of the left and the right (ibid.). According to the CRR, members of the Democratic Convergence became the target of political violence in 2001 (France 15 Oct. 2005, 24-25). Political Handbook of the World 2008 describes Mochrena as a "center-right" party founded by evangelical Protestant churches with the support of evangelical Protestant churches in the United States (US) (PHW 2008 2008, 546).

Mochrena draws the bulk of its support from the department of Artibonite in western Haiti (Haiti Democracy Project 21 Nov. 2008), where it won approximately 13 percent of the vote in the presidential election held in February 2006 (CEP 20 Feb. 2006a). In correspondence dated 21 November 2008, the Executive Director of Haiti Democracy Project indicated that Mochrena's greatest support comes specifically from Gonaïves (Haiti Democracy Project 21 Nov. 2008), the capital city of Artibonite (Europa 2008, 2123), where its leader, Luc Mésadieu, received approximately 40 percent of voter support in the February 2006 presidential elections (CEP 20 Feb. 2006b). Haiti Democracy Project is a Washington-based independent research group with a board of former US ambassadors, members of the Haitian-American community and policy analysts; the organization is dedicated to promoting "effective, accountable government in Haiti and U.S. policies toward this end" (Haiti Democracy Project 6 July 2003).

Elected Members

In the Haitian elections held in 2006, Mochrena won three seats in the Chamber of Deputies (Chambre des députés) (Europa 2008 2008, 2128; US 23 Oct. 2008; IPU 10 Oct. 2008). According to Haiti's Provisional Electoral Council (Conseil électorale provisoire, CEP), Mochrena candidates placed first in the second round of elections in the following electoral districts: Gonaïves in the department of Artibonite (CEP 26 Apr. 2006), Gros-Morne, also in Artibonite, and Camp-Perrin/Maniche in the Sud department (CEP 12 Dec. 2006).

As of November 2008, Mochrena does not hold any seats in the Senate (Sénat) (IPU 3 Nov. 2008; US 23 Oct. 2008; Haiti Democracy Project 21 Nov. 2008). Information on which part of the country its elected members come from could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

Political activities and organizational structure

According to a freelance journalist (FRIDE n.d.) writing for Radio Caraibes in 2008, Mochrena was one of several political parties that demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Jacques-Édouard Alexis (Radio Caraibes 13 Apr. 2008), reportedly a close ally of President Préval (LA Times 13 Apr. 2008). Alexis was dismissed by a vote of 16 out of 27 senators (ibid.; Radio Caraibes 13 Apr. 2008).

Further information on the political activities and organizational structure of Mochrena could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate, but the following information may be of interest.

According to a November 2007 article in the Haitian newspaper Le Matin, a split in the party developed in September 2007 between a faction loyal to the leader of the party, Luc Mésadieu, and another faction that supports former senator, Amos André, who is party coordinator general, and Pastor Jackson Noël (Le Matin 22 Nov. 2007). In an open letter dated 7 September 2007, the faction represented by Amos André and Jackson Noël referred to Mésadieu as [translation] "'fundamentalist'" and accused him of abuse of power (ibid.). A document dated 31 December 2007 and produced by Haiti Democracy Project states that the faction led by Mésadieu is threatened with [translation] "implosion." Both factions have demanded that the other leader disassociate his name from that of the party (Le Matin 22 Nov. 2007). Further or corroborating information on this split within the Mochrena party could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

Treatment of its members by the Préval government

The Executive Director of Haiti Democracy Project reported to the Research Directorate that political gangs deployed by Préval and his party posed an "undefined but increasing" threat to members of other parties, including Mochrena; however, he stressed that this does not mean that all members of opposition parties are in "imminent physical danger" (21 Nov. 2008). He indicated that such gangs have been involved in politically motivated kidnappings in Port-au-Prince and that Haiti Democracy Project has also received "credible reports" of "similar gang activity" carried out against the political opposition in the city of Cap-Haïtien (Haiti Democracy Project 21 Nov. 2008). Further or corroborating information on the treatment of Mochrena members by the Préval government could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Conseil électorale provisoire (CEP). 12 December 2006. "Elections Haiti 3 decembre 2006: Deuxieme tour-senateurs Nord Est." 6 <http://www.cep-ht.org/eis3era_xyz/> [Accessed 1 Dec. 2008]
_____. 26 April 2006. "Resumé députés pays: Circunscription – Gonaives (données partielles) – Deuxième tour." <http://www.cep-ht.org/eis2da/report-d/5/Resume-depute-GONAIVES%20-%2046.pdf> [Accessed 1 Dec. 2008]
_____. 20 February 2006a. "Resumé presidentiel Artibonite (données partielles)." <http://www.cep-ht.org/eis/report-presi/departement/Report-Resumen-ARTIBONITE.pdf> [Accessed 1 Dec. 2008]
_____. 20 February 2006b. "Resumé presidentiel Artibonite: Commune – Gonaives (données partielles)." <http://www.cep-ht.org/eis/report-presi/commune/Resume-ARTIBONITE-GONAIVES.pdf> [Accessed 1 Dec. 2008]

The Europa World Year Book 2008. 2008. "Haiti." London, U.K.: Routledge.

France. 15 October 2005. Commission des recours des réfugiés. Sommaire Haiti. <http://www.commission-refugies.fr/IMG/pdf/Haiti.pdf> [Accessed 6 Nov. 2008]

Fundación para las Relaciones Internacionales y el Diálogo Exterior (FRIDE). N.d. ", Nancy Roc." <http://www.fride.org/expert/401/nancy-roc> [Accessed 18 Nov. 2008]

Haiti Democracy Project. 21 November 2008. Correspondence received from the Executive Director.
_____. 31 December 2007. Haiti Report Card 2007. <http://www.haitipolicy.org/content.3880.htm> [Accessed 6 Nov. 2008]
_____. 30 September 2005. Micha Gaillard. "Pour un candidat unique à la Présidence de la Nouvelle convergence démocratique." <http://www.haitipolicy.org/printversions/3252.htm> [Accessed 14 Nov. 2008]
_____. 6 July 2003. "Mission Statement." <http://www.haitipolicy.org/main/mission_statement.htm> [Accessed 14 Nov. 2008]

Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU). 3 November 2008. "Haiti – Sénat (Senate)." <http://www.ipu.org/parline-e/reports/2138_E.htm> [Accessed 4 Nov. 2008]
_____. 10 October 2008. "Haiti – Chambre des Députés (Chamber of Deputies)." <http://www.ipu.org/parline-e/reports/2137_A.htm> [Accessed 17 Nov. 2008]

Los Angeles Times (LA Times). 13 April 2008. Carol J. Williams. "Haiti's Prime Minister Fired Amid Food Crisis." <http://articles.latimes.com/2008/apr/13/world/fg-haiti13> [Accessed 14 Nov. 2008]

Le Matin [Haiti]. 22 November 2007. " Parti politique en crise: Le Mochrena sur la voie de l'éclatement." (Haitiwebs.com) <http://www.haitiwebs.com/forums/lakay_haitian_news/47486-parti_politique_en_crise_le_mochrena_sur_la_voie_de_leclatement.html> [Accessed 10 Nov. 2008]

Political Handbook of the World 2008 (PHW 2008). 2008. "Haiti." Edited by Arthur S. Banks, Thomas C. Muller and William R. Overstreet. Washington, D.C.: CQ Press.

Radio Caraibes. 13 April 2008. Nancy Roc. "De l'espoir au chaos par Nancy Roc." <http://www.caraibesfm.com/newsadmin/preview.php?id=3505> [Accessed 6 Nov. 2008]

United States (US). 23 October 2008. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). "Haiti." The World Factbook. <https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ha.html> [Accessed 27 Oct. 2008]

Additional Sources Consulted

Internet sources, including: Agence Haïtienne de Presse, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (CRNM), CNN.com, Haiti Progrès [Port-au-Prince], HaitiAnalysis.com, International Crisis Group, International Mission for Monitoring Haitian Elections (IMMHE), le Nouvelliste [Port-au-Prince], one tear, Réseau National de Défense des Droits Humains (RNDDH), Télévision Nationale d'Haiti (TNH).