Dominican Republic and Haiti: Country Studies

Dominican Republic and Haiti: Country Studies
With the restoration of elected government and the subsequent
renewed process toward a decentralized governmental
system prescribed by the constitution, renewed attention has
been placed on entrenched patterns of urban dominance and
rural exclusion, and on developing or strengthening government
institutions. Debates over the allocation of scarce public
resources and the priority use of foreign assistance amid desperate
and growing needs in both of Haiti's "republics" now are
joined by parliamentarians who originate from long-neglected
areas, and are fueled by pressure from local elected officials
and the voters who elected them. Although this dynamic of
governance is still at an early and uncertain phase of development,
it represents a fundamental change from the traditional
and unchallenged domination of the capital and its political
class.
As debates continue, progress toward developing or
strengthening government capacity, in both Port-au-Prince and
elsewhere, has been minimal. Revenue generation for
enhanced public investment remains ineffective as contraband
continues to flourish. State institutions charged with the
responsibility for overseeing measures of effective decentralization
remain weak and/or disproportionately focused on Portau-Prince.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and
Rural Development, for example, has more employees in the
capital than elsewhere in the country. Port-au-Prince, with its
increased growth and myriad of highly visible and urgent problems
brought on by a deteriorated infrastructure and everincreasing
overcrowding, continues to receive a disproportionate
amount of public attention and investment.
Still, the preeminence of the capital in setting Haiti's political
agenda is being challenged by the emergence of a decentralized
governmental system. Heightened attention among
the country's elected leaders to issues of urban dominance and
rural exclusion, brought on in large part by shifting patterns of
political participation, suggests that a change in the uneven
relationships between Haiti's two "republics" is beginning to
take place.
Political Dynamics
The Haitian political system historically has displayed certain
enduring features. In recent years, especially since late 1994,
many of these features have begun to change.
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