Toward a Decentralized Haitian State: The Promises and Shortcomings of the Post-Duvalier Constitution of 1987

Abstract:The post-Duvalier Haitian Constitution of 1987 was an appeal for decentralization to reorganize the Haitian state after the fall of the twenty-nine-year Duvalier dictatorship in 1986. However, Haiti today is no closer to realizing this objective than it was then. The partial implementation of the Constitution's decentralizing framework has created a political quagmire of critical administrative gaps that continue to stifle Haiti's progress. Rather than moving toward intergovernmental power-sharing and greater inclusivity, as the document intended, these apertures have instead reinforced an autocratic governance system despite Jean-Claude Duvalier's departure. This paper is the first to conduct a comprehensive analysis of post-Duvalier efforts to decentralize Haiti. Using in-depth semistructured expert interviews and content analysis, the paper presents several institutional impediments that curtail Haiti's advancement in terms of improved public service delivery and unadulterated citizen engagement. The paper also unveils how and why key central government actors consistently impede the extent to which decentralization could facilitate widespread improvements in local development and subnational governance throughout Haiti.Rezime:Konstitisyon 1987 la se te yon apèl pou desantralize peyi a, e se te yon fason pou reyòganize leta ayisyen an apre diktati Duvalier yo te tonbe (1986). Sepandan, Ayiti jodi a pa pi pre pou reyalize objektif sa pase jan li te ye lè sa a. Lwa ki nan Konstitisyon 1987 la ki gen rapò ak pwojè desantralizasyon an pa te aplike vre pou sa fèt. Tou sa vin kreye yon dilèm politik ki lakòz gwo twou vid administratif nan leta a, e sa tou kontinye anpeche Ayiti fè pwogrè. Olye ke peyi a pran wout enklizyon kote chak branch pouvwa yo pa anpyete sou dwa lòt la, jan dokiman an deklare sa, ouvèti sa yo ranfòse yon sistèm gouvènans otokrat, malgre Jean-Claude Duvalier te kite peyi a. Papye sa se premye travay ki chita sou yon analiz konplè sou jefò ki fèt pou desantralize Ayiti apre rejim Duvalier a. Papye a prezante plizyè antrav enstitisyonèl ki diminye avansman Ayiti akoz pa gen bon jan sèvis piblik tout kote nan peyi a, epi ki jan mank sa yo dekouraje sitwayen yo viv angajman politik yo tou. Papye a revele tou ki jan ak pou ki sa otorite kle nan gouvènman santral la anpeche desantralizayon an ateri pou fasilite devlòpman lokal ak gouvènans rejyonal tout kote ann Ayiti.