Platfòm Pitit Desalin (English: Child of Dessalines Platform), named after Haitian revolutionary leader Jean-Jacques Dessalines, is a Haitian political party led by Jean-Charles Moïse. As of 11 April 2018[update], the party had two seats in the Chamber of Deputies and one seat in the Senate. Since January 10, 2023, both houses of parliament in Haiti have been vacant.[2] The party leader, Jean-Charles Moïse, resigned as Senator in protest of an alleged bribe of $2.5 million offered to him by allies of President Michel Martelly and in order to run for president in the 2015 presidential election. He received 14.3% of the popular vote and came in third place.[3] In the aftermath of the election, the party played a major role in the opposition protests against eventual winner Jovenel Moïse.[4]
Jean-Charles Moïse and General Secretary of the party Assad Volcy have both been central figures in the movement against de facto head of state Ariel Henry.[5]
Platfòm Pitit Desalin have alleged mistreatment of their party members at the hands of the Haitian government. While Moïse was still a senator he was allegedly arrested and detained for half a day by Haitian police at a Pitit Desalin rally.[6] The party also claims that there have been police raids on its offices, as well as 30 politically motivated arrests of party members in November 2015.[6] One party activist, Maxo Gaspard, was shot and killed near the party offices, allegedly by a police officer, although the police have denied their involvement.[6]
Ideology
Platfòm Pitit Desalin lists its three central pillars as: sovereignty in the political sector, solidarity in the social sector, and prosperity in the economic sector.[7] It is a left-wingnationalist party, with connections to the Fanmi Lavalas movement of former president Jean-Bertrand Aristide.[8]
The party states that "it is committed to working for a just society based on national sovereignty and economic and social development for all of its sons, in accordance with Dessalinian ideals."[8] They also support an "equitable redistribution of wealth" in Haiti.[7]
The party advocates for "peaceful revolution" in Haiti, but Moïse has also encouraged demonstrators to "arm themselves with machetes", while stressing that he was not telling them to use firearms.[9]
