6581: KOZEPEP press statement of December 4, 2000 (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Haiti Reborn <haiti@quixote.org>

English translation is followed by the original Kreyol.


KOZEPÈP
Statement to the Press ? 4 December 2000

KOZEPÈP is an independent peasant organization settled in all nine
departments of the country. Since its inception, it assumed a mission
that can be summarized in these four functions:

1. To mobilize peasants to participate in elections and all other
political, social and cultural activities taking place inside the
country, to stop excluding the peasants from what is happening in the
country.
2. To observe electoral process from the registration of electors to the
proclamation of the electoral results.
3. To work in collaboration with those elected to uphold projects that
are in the interest of the Peasants.
4. Participation in defining a clear agricultural policy, in defining
the projects as well as their priorities.

KOZEPÈP did observe the elections on May 21 and July 9. KOZEPÈP did
observe the elections on November 26, 2000, too.

For the November 26 elections, KOZEPÈP had 5,842 observers who mobilized
in the entire country to watch that the votes of the peasants did not go
astray.

Differences between the May 21 elections and the elections of November
26: On May 21 there were more ballots in the hand of each elector (6 to
7) which caused each elector to need more time to cast his/her vote,
which in turn created jams in front of the polling stations.

On November 26 it was easier because each elector had only two ballots
and there were not a lot of candidates. This situation allowed the
voting to proceed more quickly, and as a result, there were not too many
jams in front of the polling stations.

Based on KOZEPÈP?s observation, participation was between 60-65%. People
voted in peace and they had security. The small minor irregularities
that we observed could in no way invalidate the results of the voting
process.

KOZEPÈP highly praises the CEP (Provisional Electoral Council), the
entire body of the national police, and the government as they used
their good faith and capabilities to undertake this huge operation, with
only the resources the country could place at their disposal.

KOZEPÈP congratulates the Haitian people for its intelligence and
political maturity which allowed it to choose the electoral route to
shore up democracy in the country.

Now the elections are over. KOZEPÈP will enter the phase of mobilizing
the peasants to give a big push to the country?s national production,
whether that be in the agricultural sector, or the artisanal sector, or
the industrial and transformation sector.

The mobilization phase will also occur in establishing a serious level
of dialogue with government leaders to create together an agricultural
policy that must take into consideration the needs of the peasants in
their search for a better life. This agricultural policy must consider
all their sources of production.

KOZEPÈP will accompany both the elected and the peasants to facilitate
their work on the ground, and to define their priorities and the
interests of the country.

Inside KOZEPÈP, the peasants know each other in the nine departments of
the country, they can more easily agree to choose projects according to
their priorities without any major dispute.

We, the peasants of KOZEPÈP, don?t come asking for jobs, we would prefer
to create jobs in the agricultural sector, which is the base of the
country?s economy. This struggle, we the peasants are determined to lead
it to its conclusion.

KOZEPÈP will also establish relationships with peasants in other
countries in a peasant to peasant solidarity context. That was the dream
of Jean Dominique, an agronomist and journalist who loved the Haitian
peasants a lot.

Thank you.


KOZEPÈP
Rezime Konferans Près ? 4 Desanm 2000

KOZEPÈP se yon Òganizasyon Peyizan endepandan ki tabli nan 9 depatman
peyi-a. Depi kreyasyon-l, li te bay tèt li yon misyon ki rezime nan 4
fonksyon.

1. Mobilizasyon Peyizan-yo pou yo patisipe nan Eleksyon ak tout lòt
aktivite politik, sosyal, kilitirèl kap fèt andedan peyi-a pou sispann
kenbe Peyizan andeyò sa kap fèt nan Peyi-a.
2. Obsève pwosesis electoral-la depi nan enskripsyon rive jis nan
pwoklamasyon rezilta vòt yo.
3. Travay nan tèt kole ak Eli-yo pou yo ka soutni pwojè kinan enterè
Peyizan-yo.
4. Patisipasyon nan definisyon yon politik agrikòl klè, nan definisyon
pwojè-yo ak priyorite-yo.

KOZEPÈP te obsève eleksyon 21 Me ak 9 Jiyè. KOZEPÈP te obsève eleksyon
26 novanm 2000 la tou.

Nan eleksyon 26 novanm, KOZEPÈP te gen 5, 842 obsèvetè ki te mobilize
nan tout peyi-a, pou yo te ka veye ke vòt peyizan-yo pat fè wout kochi.

Diferans ant eleksyon 21 Me ak eleksyon 26 Novanm: 21 Me, te gen plis
bilten nan men chak elektè (6 à 7) sa te fè ke chak elektè te bezwen
plis tan pou yo vote, sa ki te kreye anbouteyaj nan liy devan biwo vòt
yo.

26 novanm, sate pi fasil, chak elektè te gen sèlman 2 bilten epi pat gen
anpil kandida. Sitiyasyon sa-a fè ke operasyon vòt la te mache pi vit,
pat gen twòp anbouteyaj devan biwo vòt yo.

Daprè obsèvasyon KOZEPÈP, patisipasyon-an te ant 60 à 65%. Moun-yo te
vote nan lapè, te gen sekirite. Ti enkovenian ke nou to obsève-yo pa ka
nwi rezilta operasyon vòt yo.

KOZEPÈP ap voye yon gwo kout chapo pou KEP-LA, tout kò POLIS
NASYONAL-la, GOUVÈNMAN-an, ki mete tout bòn volonte-yo, tout
kapasite-yo, pou reyalize gwo operasyon-sa-a avèk mwayen peyi-a te kapab
mete nan men-yo.

KOZEPÈP ap felisite pèp Ayisyen-an pou entelijans-li ak matirite
politik-li, ki te pèmèt li chwazi wout eleksyon pou kore demokrasi nan
peyi-a.

Kounye-a Eleksyon fini. KOZEPÈP pral antre nan faz mobilizasyon
Peyizan-yo pou bay pwodiksyon nasyonal Peyi-a jarèt, ke se swa nan sektè
Agrikòl, ke sa swa nan sektè atizana, ou byen nan sektè transfòmasyon ak
endistri.

Faz mobilizasyon sa-a ap rive tou nan tabli bon jan dialog ak dirijan
leta-yo pou nou tabli ansanm yon politik agrikòl ki dwe pran an
konsiderasyon tout bezwen mas peyizan-yo nan sans pou yo jwenn la vi
miyò. Politik agrikòl sa-a dwe konsidere tout filyè pwodiksyon-yo.

KOZEPÈP pra?l  akonpaye eli-yo ak peyizan-yo pou fasilite travay-yo sou
teren-an, pou definie priyorite-yo enterè peyi-a.

Andedan KOZEPÈP, peyizan-yo yonn konnlòt nan 9 depatman Peyi-a, yo ka
antann-yo pi fasil pou chwazi pwojè priyorite-yo chire pit.

Nou menm Peyizan KOZEPÈP nou pa vin mande djòb, nou vle pito kreye djòb
nan sektè agrikòl-la ki se baz ekonomi peyi-a. Batay sa-a, nou menm
peyizan, nou vle Mennen-li jis nan bout-li.

KOZEPÈP pra-l tabli tou relasyon avèk payizan nan lòt payi-yo nan kad
solidarite peyizan ak peyizan. Sa-a se te rèv Jean Dominik, yon Agwonòm
Jounalis ki te renmen peyizan ayisyen anpil.


Mèsi.