Mirlande Manigat was born 86 years ago in Miragoâne

Eighty-six years ago, on November 3, 1940, Mirlande Manigat, née Mirlande Hyppolite, was born in Miragoâne. A jurist and political scientist, she left her mark on the country's political life for several decades.

A constitutional law scholar

Trained in the social sciences, she earned a doctorate in political science at the Sorbonne. She taught constitutional law at the Simón Bolívar University in Caracas from 1978.

Senator and candidate

She returned from exile with her husband Leslie Manigat after the fall of Duvalier in 1986, and was elected senator two years later. She was briefly First Lady when her husband led the country, from February 7 to June 20, 1988. Re-elected senator in 2006, she chose not to take her seat. President of the Rassemblement des démocrates nationaux progressistes from 2006 to 2015, she finished first in the first round of the 2010-2011 presidential election with 31.37% of the vote, before being beaten by Michel Martelly in the runoff on March 20, 2011.

At the High Transition Council

Prime Minister Ariel Henry appointed her to sit on the High Transition Council, alongside Laurent Saint-Cyr and Calixte Fleuridor. Sworn in on February 6, 2023, she became its president on February 18. The council was dissolved on July 29, 2024.