Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
First of all, I'd like to ask our guests to respond to us in writing. The five minutes allocated for questions and answers will not allow us to obtain all the answers we would like. And yet we would like to obtain them.
My question is for Rights and Democracy and for FOCAL. First I'd like to congratulate Mr. Hubert, even though he occupies an acting position, and wish him every success. I'm also very pleased to note the presence of Ms. Magloire and the fact that for the past two years, Rights and Democracy has had an office in Port-au-Prince.
Mr. Hubert, Rights and Democracy also supports the Groupe d'Appui aux Rapatriés et Réfugiés with a view to "achieving the right to identity through universal registration of civil status and national identification".
Last month in Washington, you presented the results of your research in the framework of a partnership with the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Centre for Human Rights. Could you provide us with a few details on this research as well as the recommendations?
I'm also going to ask Mr. Dade a question.
I read with great interest your special report last November by a joint delegation to Haiti by FOCAL to Inter-American Dialogue, Haiti: Real Progress, Real Fragility.
As we're all aware, Canada is very involved in Haiti's elections. In your report you said:
Haiti's political stability is threatened by the possibility of elections that are subject to indefinite postponement.
We know there were five elections in the past 18 months in Haiti, at a cost of $15 million U.S. each, meaning $150 million, and the sixth one, last December, was postponed and resulted in the death of another senator. That means we're left with 19 senators out of 30, and there's no possibility of any amendment to the constitution.
My question is about this senatorial election. Could this bring instability to Haiti again? And do you think any work is being done right now by the Haitian government to amend their archaic constitution? Because if you want to amend their constitution, the amendments need to be adopted by two-thirds of both houses, then ratified by the following Parliament, and then they come into effect following the third Parliament. That means nothing is going to be done.
They need to change this constitution. Do you know if they have done any work on this issue?
Merci.