Two weeks following the assassination of Pres. Jovenel Moise of Haiti, his widow publicly expressed her intention to run for president.  Well, it is a difficult job at a difficult time in a country mired with challenges.  Can she do it?

In an interview with the New York Times, Martine Moise gave the full account of the infamous event of July 7, 2021 that led to her husband’s assassination.  When asked about her political goal, she didn’t hesitate to show her presidential aspiration. To the question, why does she want to be president?  She responded that she wants to continue the unfinished work of her late husband.

However good Moise’s intention for Haiti may be, is she presidential enough for such a difficult task?  Frankly, public opinion would find her too inexperienced to tackle the complex problems the country is currently facing.  What Haiti needs right now is someone with the know-how—a democratic-revolutionary type of leader, a François Duvalier-like president, but without tyranny.

In the case of Moise, she needs to be molded in the political system of Haiti before she can meet the presidential requirements.  Let’s say, for instance, she runs for an elective office and wins; that experience would prepare her for higher office. 

Also, she needs to learn the culture of politics and how to navigate through rough waters unshakably.  The level of corruption and lawlessness that is raging in Haiti today demands such a leader, a strong man and a difference-maker.

Being the first lady of Haiti for four years is not enough political experience to earn Moise the presidency.  The wisest historians would conclude that the moment is not appropriate for Moise to indulge in politics.  This is the moment to mourn her loss, to heal and to overcome the horror that has impacted her life. 

Indeed, one cannot underestimate Moise’s intellect, her aura and her charisma.  She lost her husband, thereby gaining fame.  She is now on her way to greatness.  But any attempt to achieve success prematurely may ruin her political ambition.

In contrast, if she wins the presidential election because people are sympathetic to her, the nation risks going back to square one.  But if Uncle Sam picks her to be the winner, as it is customary in Haitian presidential elections, she will be powerless and a puppet of western predators.  Then, it will be business as usual, and her work will remain unfinished like that of her husband.

Maybe, like Corazon Aquino whose husband, Benigno Aquino, was assassinated in the Philippines, and who later became the president of that country, Moise can make a similar impact.

So If Moise becomes successful in her quest for the presidency, she will be ranked among the powerful female leaders of the world.  Then, like Indira Gandhi of India, Golda Meir of Israel, and the Iron Lady of Great Britain, Margaret Thatcher and others, Moise is on her way to making history.