7875: Highlights of Radio Galaxie news (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Max Blanchet <maxblanchet@worldnet.att.net>

Haiti: Highlights of Radio Galaxie news 1800 gmt 11 May 01
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; May 13, 2001

>From "The World at the 1300 Thermometer" news programme; figures in brackets
indicate times in minutes elapsed since start of programme; passages within
double oblique strokes in Creole

Employers' associations who met over the weekend have adopted a resolution
calling for all of last year's local and legislative elections to be rerun,
and for the establishment of a new Provisional Electoral Council (CEP). The
resolution also calls for the OAS and civil society to serve as mediators in
negotiations to end the crisis.

Paul Antoine, coordinator of the Presidency Press Service, told the press
that at his meeting with the joint OAS/Caricom (Caribbean Community)
mission, President Jean-Bertrand Aristide asked the mission to extend an
invitation to the opposition to meet at the National Palace with Lavalas,
OAS Assistant Secretary General Luigi Einaudi, and CARICOM Assistant
Secretary General Albert Ramdin.

The Lavalas Family (FL) seems to have reversed its position to make
concessions to end the crisis. According to the FL interim leader, Yvon
Neptune, the people's choice cannot be called into question. He said that
there are "unscrupulous" and "dishonest" people who wish to nullify the
people's choice at the polls. He added that the FL is willing to do its part
to resolve the crisis, but that the people's vote on 21 May should be
respected. The following is an excerpt of Yvon Neptune's statements:
//..."There is no room for coup d'etat in the democracy we are building.
Everyone should respect the Constitutional decision of the people. President
Aristide is the head of State, he is the president of all Haitians. The
people chose him in free and democratic elections...the president has only
one boss, the Haitian people.... Today the Lavalas Family is still ready to
make a political compromise to respect the people who protect, improve and
strengthen the democratic institutions we are building in the country."//

The president of the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP), Alix Lamarque,
said in a letter that the CEP will comply with any pact that is in the
people's interest. The CEP hopes that the proposals will be carefully
studied in order to bring about a favourable solution.

Lavalas official Edner Devalcin points out that the crisis is economic in
nature because financial assistance is blocked. He said that everyone
together - Lavalas, Aristide, the private sector, the opposition - must work
together to end the crisis. Devalcin said further that the Convergence is
being deceptive with regard to negotiations.

The Evangelical Movement To Save Haiti issued a statement saying that
neither intransigence nor extremism will solve the crisis. The organization
urges a change of attitude by the two opposing sides.

Former Senator Paul Denis appeared before the examining judge yesterday to
answer questions about a demonstration in March in which a Lavalas
demonstrator was shot dead. He answered questions for three hours,
unassisted by his attorneys. He said that the judge was very professional.
He explained that he is not under suspicion, he was questioned as a witness.
Meanwhile, Reynold Georges, one of Denis's attorneys, called the judge's
questioning of Denis politically motivated.

Examining Judge Claudy Gassant explained that the final report on the Jean
Dominique murder will not be issued by 15 May, as the justice minister said,
because other people must be called in for questioning.

Source: Radio Galaxie, Port-au-Prince, in French 1800 gmt 11 May 01

/BBC Monitoring/ © BBC.