President of Haiti Each presidential term in office begins and ends on the first February 7 after presidential elections are held. However this is also altered after Michel Martelly became the president on May 11 of 2011. The qualifications for the presidency are specified by Articles 136 to 147, part of Chapter III Section B of the 1987 Constitution of Haiti. The president has no powers except those accorded to him in the Constitution. The Constitution mandates that the president see to: the respect for and enforcement of the Constitution and the stability of the institutions; regular operations of the public authorities; the
Michel Martelly electoral law. The Haitian government faced months of protests over the delayed elections. Haitian Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe resigned on 14 December and was replaced by Evans Paul. But street protests have continued, with renewed calls for the president's resignation. On 13 January 2015, the parliament was dissolved after its term expired and four days later, a thousands of protesters in the capital of Port-au-Prince demanded the president's resignation. Police used tear gas and water cannon to disperse the crowd. Martelly urged protesters to keep order and said he had reached a deal with the opposition to form a consensus