8032: Haiti: Highlights of Radio Signal FM news (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

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

1.   Haiti: Highlights of Radio Signal FM news 1230 gmt 22 May 01

Haiti: Highlights of Radio Signal FM news 1230 gmt 22 May 01
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; May 23, 2001



"0730 Appointment" news; figures in brackets indicate times in minutes
elapsed since start of programme; passages within double oblique strokes in
French

1. [00] Headlines.

2. [04] Journalist Abdoulaye Gedeouenge will appear today before the Office
of the Examining Judge to answer Judge Claudy Gassant's questions within the
framework of the investigations being carried out into the murder of the
Radio Haiti Inter owner and general manager. The African national will have
to answer Gassant's questions. The freelance journalist from the Ivory Coast
has been summoned to answer questions at the Justice Department. In addition
to the African national, Evans Paul, Sauveur Pierre-Etienne, Richard
Salomon, and Antonio Charlier will have to appear before the judge at the
Palace of Justice to answer Gassant's questions within the framework of the
investigations being carried out into the murder of Dominique. Democratic
Convergence spokesman Paul, who announced this information, has promised to
provide further details during the day.

3. [06] Yvon Neptune, president of the controversial Senate of the Republic,
has reacted to the statement by UN Secretary Kofi Annan, who has asked for
the resolution of the Haiti crisis so donors will release funds to Haiti.
Neptune says the country is supposed to operate with its own funds before it
looks for foreign aid. This means that the country should count, first and
foremost, on its internal resources. The interim leader of the Lavalas
Family, FL, encourages all the sectors involved in the crisis to continue to
talk in order to find a way to unblock the situation. Furthermore, Neptune
says the FL is always willing to meet with the opposition leaders anywhere.

4. [09] Report by correspondent Rameau Rigobert in Les Cayes: Former Deputy
Jean Gabriel Fortune, spokesman for the Convergence in Les Cayes, was
arrested yesterday. The judicial authorities have ordered that he be held in
jail so the police can ensure his safety at the city police station. This
arrest occurred following a confrontation between FL partisans and
Convergence members after the FL disrupted a Convergence meeting on the
occasion of first anniversary of the 21 May 2000 elections. Several dozen
members of a pro-Lavalas people's organization called Operation for Peace
said that the Convergence does not have the right to hold any meeting in the
Department of the South. Yesterday, the Operation Peace members in Les Cayes
plundered a food warehouse that belongs to Fortune and left with the
coffers, whose contents have not yet been assessed. The same people went to
premises of Koperan, a cooperative that belongs to the Papaye Congress
National Peasants Movement, MPNKP, where they caused heavy damage. An
apparent calm now is now prevailing in Les Cayes.

5. [13] Several religious and human rights organizations call for a
political agreement between the parties involved in the Haitian electoral
crisis. They say dialogue and reconciliation cannot take place in a climate
where the opposing parties do not stop accusing each other.

6. [15] Ads.

7. [18] The Democratic Centre Union [Union Centre Democratique], UCD, is the
name of a new political coalition presented to the press yesterday. The UCD
calls for good management. According to Max Adam, the transition has lasted
too long. He adds that it is time for protagonists to negotiate so the
crisis can be resolved. UCD is considering participating in the elections
that should be held in the country next year, according to Patrick Brutus,
one of the leaders of this coalition.

8. [22] The presidential press office has shed light on the statements made
by the Haitian head of state in Arcahaie on Flag Day. Jacques Maurice, one
of the members of the presidential press office, calls for unity among the
Haitian political players so the country can be unblocked. He hails the rect
or's proposal that his office be used as neutral ground for negotiations
between the FL and the Convergence. Maurice explains that the Presidency is
willing to negotiate to allow the crisis to be resolved.

9. [25] Contrary to what was previously announced, the meeting that was
expected to be held between Interior Minister Henri-Claude Menard and
members of the Interior and Territorial Collectivities Committee of the
Senate did not take place yesterday. Controversial Senator Yvon Feuille
explains the reasons why Menard did not show up at the Senate to answer the
senators' questions. Feuille said that the chances that the meeting will be
held this weekend so light can be shed on some issues regarding Communal
Section Assemblies and Communal Section Administration Councils are very
high.

10. [28] Ads.

11. [30] Economic segment by Georges Henry, Jr.

12. [34] Ads.

13. [41] The first phase of the polio vaccination campaign began yesterday.
Health officials visited several schools where students will be vaccinated.
Health Minister Henry-Claude Voltaire asks parents to give children a chance
by letting them receive the polio vaccine. "Five cases of polio have been
recorded," according to Voltaire, who says it is necessary to prevent the
recurrence of polio in the country.

14. [44] Last weekend, a delegation from the Planning and External
Cooperation Ministry, headed by Serge Montes, went to Jeremie. They wanted
to evaluate various projects for rehabilitation of open markets in the area.
They plan to build latrines in the open markets of the region. Montes
announced that many repairs will be made on various roads in Grand'Anse
Department.

15. [45] Ads.

16. [49] Report by correspondent Tacola Jean-Prepty in Leogane: Mayor Onell
Octela strongly supports Aristide's statements in favour of maintaining the
21 May elected representatives in their positions. However, the mayor
reiterated his willingness to resign if a political compromise to facilitate
the resolution of the crisis requires it. Octela believes that the
resumption of the negotiations between the ruling party and the opposition
is possible.

17. [51] Report by correspondent Fred Jasmin in Petit-Goave: Cineas Beliard
[phonetic], deputy mayor of Petit-Goave, held a news conference yesterday
during which he thanked the people of Petit-Goave for having voted for the
FL. He said that the Haitian people were free to choose the people they want
to represent them.

18. [53] Report by correspondent Yves Delva in Aquin: The residents of the
fifth communal section of Cavaillon denounce a group of armed individuals
who are causing problems in the area. The residents of this area ask the
authorities to take measures in order to put an end to the bad acts being
committed by these armed individuals.

19. [55] Report by correspondent Franck Josue in Cap-Haitien: Six people
were killed and three others are reported missing after a small boat wrecked
in the northern part of the country over the past weekend.

20. [57] News summary.

Source: Signal FM Radio, Port-au-Prince, in Creole 1230 gmt 22 May 01

/BBC Monitoring/ © BBC.