6412: Re: Re: 6282: Kozyn responds to re: parallel government (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: mark gill <doctorgill@clas.net>


Amy Wilentz wrote:
>
> I just don't see how you can get around the fact that Aristide is the
> people's choice. That's how democracy works -- in most countries.

***the "parallel government" is certainly nothing more than an attempt by
the opposition to maintain some form of cohesion and visibility.  if such a
thing is not the "normal" way in a democracy, i think we should remember
that without a well functioning civil society, with established and
legitimate political institutions, "democracy" is a fuzzy concept and no one
should assume how it will function........without the above mentioned civil
society, there is no standardized way for it TO function....

the real question, it seems to me, is HOW the necessary Civil Society can be
put into place, whereby there are accepted ways of standing in opposition to
policies, elections, etc.........until this is accomplished, why should
anyone be surprized at the current efforts by the opposition?     in fact,
it should have been anticipated..........the opposition knows that fervor
for Aristide has dropped considerably, due to the failures of Preval and the
last five years.....we continue to hear of the low voter turnout, altho i
dont suppose final conclusions have been reached as to the percentage that
actually voted.........the low turn out was due either to repression or
apathy...........i suspect apathy was the reason.........

the opposition is taking advantage of this apathy and using the lack of
accepted Civil procedures to continue their "battle"......i think we will
see such actions, not only in the present, but also in the
future...........probably for many years to come......

mark gill