IN MEMORIAM: Haitian Parliamentarian The Honorable Grandale TELUSMA, 1972-2010

She was a deputy of the 48th Haitian legislature from the MOCHRENA party, andran for reelection for the District of Gros-Morne in the Artibonite.During her term, she held several major positions as Secretary of the Lower Chamber; Reporter of the Commission on Childrens Rights First Secretary of the Bureau of the Chamber of Deputies and member of the Justice and Agriculture Committees. Her passage within the legislature is marked by her strong advocacy for passing the very controversial legislation on responsible paternity in her position as Chairman of the Social Affairs and Womens Rights Committee. Thanks to her legal training and her commitment to the defense of the rights of citizens, notably those of salaried workers, she demonstrated her enlightened leadership in the adoption of the law on minimum wage. She was able to rally her peers to vote a wage increase thus furthering the cause of laborers while preserving the competitiveness of Haitian businesses.

Gerandale died prematurely on December 20, 2010, when a road accident claimed her life before she could fulfill her dreams. She is a role model for a new generation of women leaders committed to Haiti social and economic reconstruction. In Parliament, she has paved the way for new servant leadership. While mourning the loss of a great leader, we join her mother, family, friends and the people of Gros Morne in prayers. May she rest in peace.