8168: Haiti: FL, Convergence on results, consequences of , OAS-Caricom mission (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

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

Haiti: FL, Convergence on results, consequences of OAS-Caricom mission
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; Jun 2, 2001

Text of report by Haitian Metropole radio on 1 June

The Lavalas Family [FL] is showing a certain serenity after the failure of
the OAS-Caricom mediation attempt. The position of Jean-Bertrand Aristide's
party has not changed as regards the 21 May 2000 elections. Senator Louis
Gerald Gilles said they are waiting for a response from the Convergence on
the eight contested posts. Once again, it is the same old story that is
being told following the failure of the OAS-Caricom mission. The FL and the
Convergence are just going round in circles, while the international
community is asking for more pressure to be exerted on the protagonists in
order to resolve the crisis. Correspondent Wendel Theodore explains:

[Theodore - recording] The OAS-Caricom delegation left Haiti, leaving
everybody eager for a solution. Cesar Gaviria said that there is too much
mistrust in Haiti and the environment is not favourable to discussions.
Although there is uncertainty about the resolution of the crisis, the party
in power has not noticed any failure with the departure of the delegation.
The foreign minister said that this new mission allowed the power to make
other approaches on the issue. Joseph Philippe Antonio confirmed that the
president of the republic sent a letter to the OAS leader. The head of state
has apparently made new proposals for a way out of the crisis.

[Antonio, in Creole] Do not ask me to give you explanations about the
content of the letter, because it is private correspondence. We shall only
know what it is about when it is made public. It is a letter which President
Aristide wrote to the head of the OAS, who is leaving the country today. Of
course, when I arrive in Costa Rica, we shall discuss the contents of the
letter and other issues with all the members of the OAS and with Caricom.

[Theodore] As for the opposition, it refuses to accept any responsibility
for the continuation of the crisis. Micha Gaillard made it clear that the
end of the crisis starts with the resolution of the electoral crisis
highlighted by the OAS observer mission. If the financing organizations and
the international community continue to isolate Haiti, it is up to the
Lavalas party to face reality.

[Gaillard] We are not responsible if the World Bank, the IADB and
multilateral and bilateral institutions do not give money to Haiti. It is
they, the Lavalas Family, that have a problem with the international
community on that issue. Once that problem is solved, that is, the
vote-counting issue, the international community will decide whether or not
to release the money. As far as we are concerned, we are not responsible for
the situation. We have nothing to negotiate with the international community
in terms of the crisis that resulted from the past elections. We only have
our honesty and our capacity to make proposals.

[Theodore] Concerning the mistrust and the unfavourable climate for
discussions mentioned by Gaviria before he left Port-au-Prince, the
Convergence spokesman said that they are in the habit of having unsuccessful
discussions with Lavalas on the crisis. According to Gaillard, the
Convergence is fighting to reinforce the democratic institutions. The OAS,
which wants the players in the crisis to create a climate favourable to
discussions capable of unblocking the crisis, received this warning from the
Convergence: If the hemispheric organization contents itself with resolving
only the simple details regarding the 21 May elections, which consist of
making a correction at the level of the contested seats, they risk delaying
the advent of true democracy in Haiti.

Source: Radio Metropole, Port-au-Prince, in French 1145 gmt 1 Jun 01

/BBC Monitoring/ © BBC.