Isidor Mercier Explained

Isidor Joseph Mercier is a Haitian politician from Jérémie.[1] He is a member of the Chamber of Deputies with the Assembly of Progressive National Democrats (RDNP) party.[2]

Mercier co-sponsored an unsuccessful motion of no confidence against the prime minister, Jacques-Édouard Alexis, in February 2008.[2]

During a meeting of the parliament on April 1, 2008, Mercier's handgun discharged and wounded a clerk, Antonio Celestin.[1] Mercier was arguing with a fellow member of parliament who had accused him of corruption when the weapon fired and struck the clerk in the shoulder.[1] [3] Mercier claimed the gun fell and accidentally discharged when he bent down to pick it up.[1] Reporters who witnessed the event stated that Mercier had been brandishing the gun during the debate, and it fired after he was bumped from behind.[1] Other legislators accused Mercier of intentionally firing the weapon.[1]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Haitian legislator fires pistol in parliament, injuring 1 . International Herald Tribune . 2008-04-02 . 2008-04-02 .
  2. Web site: Ives . Kim . Two Days, Two Demonstrations: The Haitian People Resist On Several Fronts . HaitiAnalysis.com . 2008-04-02 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100221230847/http://www.haitianalysis.com/politics/two-days-two-demonstrations-the-haitian-people-resist-on-several-fronts . 2010-02-21 . dead .
  3. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/world/5666627.html Haitian lawmaker's gun fires in parliament; clerk hurt