Serge Gilles is the leader of the Fusion of Haitian Social Democrats

Fusion of Haitian Social Democrats

The Fusion of Haitian Social Democrats is a political party in Haiti. In the presidential elections of 7 February 2006, its candidate Serge Gilles won 2,62 % of the popular vote. In the 7 February 2006 Senate elections, the party won 9.9 % of the popular vote and 4 out of 30 Senators, taking...

 political party. He spent 25 years in overseas exile before returning to Haiti in 1986. He became the leader of the Fusion party in 2005 and was fielded as their candidate for President

President of Haiti

The President of the Republic of Haiti is the head of state of Haiti. Executive power in Haiti is divided between the president and the government headed by the Prime Minister of Haiti...

 but lost to René Préval

René Préval

René Garcia Préval is a Haitian politician and agronomist who was the President of the Republic of Haiti from 14 May 2006 to 14 May 2011. He previously served as President from February 7, 1996, to February 7, 2001, and as Prime Minister from February 1991 to October 11, 1991.-Early life and...

.

Private life

Gilles was born in the central plateau of Haiti. He attended secondary school in Hinche

Hinche

Hinche is a city in central Haiti. It has a population of about 50,000. It is the capital of Centre department. Hinche is the hometown of Charlemagne Péralte, the Haitian nationalist leader who resisted the United States occupation of Haïti .-Culture:The majority of the population are of African...

, then went on to further his education at Alexandre Pétion

Alexandre Pétion

Alexandre Sabès Pétion was President of the Republic of Haiti from 1806 until his death. He is considered as one of Haiti's founding fathers, together with Toussaint Louverture, Jean-Jacques Dessalines, and his rival Henri Christophe.-Early life:Pétion was born in Port-au-Prince to a Haitian...

 school in Port-au-Prince

Port-au-Prince

Port-au-Prince is the capital and largest city of the Caribbean nation of Haiti. The city's population was 704,776 as of the 2003 census, and was officially estimated to have reached 897,859 in 2009....

. He became a physical education teacher, teaching history and sports, which won him an award by the French Institute in Haiti of a scholarship to further his education. Gilles earned a degree in psychology in 1965 from the Sorbonne

Sorbonne

The Sorbonne is an edifice of the Latin Quarter, in Paris, France, which has been the historical house of the former University of Paris...

. He was denied entry back into Haiti so he remained in France and furthered his education. He worked for Cimade

Cimade

The Cimade is a French NGO founded at the beginning of the WWII by French Protestant student groups, in particular the Christian activist and member of the French Resistance Madeleine Barot, to give assistance and support to people uprooted by war, in the first instance those who were evacuated...

, eventually becoming director.