Tuesday, December 27, 2011


(Defend Haiti) - By Samuel Maxime

PORT-AU-PRINCE - Who and what constitutes Citizenship has changed in the Constitution of Haiti 2011. Multi-nationality is allowed but not for the President of the Republic, before, or while in office. The process was initiated by former President Rene Preval. This amendment was proposed by the 48th Legislature and accepted by the 49th Legislature.

Changes were made to ARTICLES 11 and 12, as they were stripped from describing a citizen as one who is born in Haiti. ARTICLE 12 goes further and reaffirms that persons not born in the country, but to Haitian parents, are not second class citizens in Haiti.

ARTICLE 11, old text:


This now reads:

Any person born of a Haitian father or Haitian mother, who are themselves native-born Haitians and have not given up their nationality possesses Haitian nationality..



A new section to ARTICLE 11 was added, section ARTICLE 11.1. It was basically a move of the previous ARTICLE 12 which permitted non-Haitians to acquire Haitian nationality but also referred non-Haitians as to how it should be done.

ARTICLE 11.1 says:


The 12th article is changed, and it's two sections from the 1987 Constitution. ARTICLE 12.1 and 12.2 were removed. ARTICLE 12 now describes the rights of a citizen rather than formerly describing how citizenship is lost.

This is what ARTICLE 12 reads now:

Every Haitian is subject to all rights, duties and obligations attached to their Haitian nationality. No Haitian cannot prevail nationality of the foreign Territory of the Republic of Haiti.


Haitian nationality may be adquired by naturalization.






Haitian nationality is lost by:

a. Naturalization in a foreign country;






Dual Haitian and foreign nationality is in no case permitted.

No comments: