8480: Highlights of Radio Metropole news (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

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

Haiti: Highlights of Radio Metropole news 1145 gmt 25 Jun 01
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; Jun 26, 2001

Figures in brackets indicate time in minutes elapsed since start of
programme

1. [00] Headlines.

2. [04] Today is the deadline set by President Aristide, within the
framework of the OAS resolution, to set up a new Provisional Electoral
Council, CEP, that is independent, credible and neutral, according to the
communications minister.

3. [04] A new OAS mission has arrived in Haiti. This mission will attempt to
facilitate a consensus between the Haitians on the formation of the CEP. The
OAS secretary general met with President Aristide at his residence in
Tabarre yesterday. He also met with the representatives of the Catholic
Church at the Apostolic Nunciature. He will meet today with the members of
the Civil Society Initiative Group, GISC, representatives of the
international community, and leaders of the Democratic Convergence. Cesar
Gaviria arrived in Haiti as the deadline set by his organization for the
formation of the CEP is peaking. Gaviria said: "During this mission, we hope
to explore the possibilities for an agreement on the creation of an
electoral council. We will be in contact with the government and the
opposition. We just hope that it will be possible to form this CEP." Gaviria
is accompanied on his 48-hour visit to Port-au-Prince by OAS Assistant
Secretary General Luigi Einaudi, Albert Ramdin of Caricom, and Sergio Romero
Cuevas, who has been designated as the OAS special representative in Haiti.
The former Mexican ambassador in Port-au-Prince said he is happy to return
to Haiti and acknowledged the complexity of the situation. "I am happy to
return to Haiti, especially to give it a hand," Romero said.

4. [06] The CEP will be formed today, as provided for in the OAS resolution,
the communication minister of the Lavalas government affirmed. According to
Guy Paul, the Lavalas government has done everything possible to form the
CEP. He specified that the government still hopes that the Convergence will
participate in the formation of the electoral institution in order to
unblock the crisis. When questioned about the church, Paul is confident. He
took the opportunity to explain about the meeting that took place yesterday
at Tabarre between President Aristide and OAS Secretary General Cesar
Gaviria.

5. [09] The Federation of the Protestant Churches of Haiti is still holding
consultations on the designation of a representative to the CEP. However,
the federation maintains its conditions for any participation in the new
CEP. The protestant community supports the need for the dialogue to continue
in order to reach a compromise.

6. [11] Will the Catholic Church participate in the formation of the next
CEP? That is the question. We will know the answer today, which is the
deadline for the formation of the CEP. The president of the Episcopal
Conference has avoided making any announcement. However, Hubert Constant
said he hopes that the new CEP will be credible, independent, and neutral,
in accordance with the OAS resolution. Bishop Constant made these remarks in
an interview with a radio station in Cap-Haitien. Constant said that more
time is needed to form such a CEP.

7. [13] The members of the Democratic Convergence continue to call for the
conclusion of a national agreement within the framework of the formation of
the next CEP. The Convergence leaders want to relay this message today
during their meeting with the OAS secretary general. The opposition leaders
encourage the regional organization to modify its strategy, in light of the
failure of the 5 June resolution on the formation of a credible CEP. The
Convergence administrative staff will meet today before their meeting with
the OAS secretary general this afternoon.

8. [15] Ads.

9. [20] Opinion poll.

10. [21] The official state exams start today. The Ministry of National
Education says everything is ready for the exams.

11. [25] After Cabaret, it is now the turn of Petit-Goave to put apply the
zero-tolerance method encouraged by President Aristide. Three presumed
bandits were lynched over the weekend. Correspondent Michelene Hilaire
reports that people in the (Dureze) area killed a young man whom they
accused of stealing a cow. In (Alman) area, people killed another young man
whom they accused of stealing a goat. In (Gira), a young man was stoned to
death because he stole a horse. The zero-tolerance declaration has elicited
reactions from the population. Some people believe that that will lead
criminals to think twice before they act. Another group thinks that some
people will use the declaration to defend their own interests and for
revenge.

12. [27] The investigation into the murder of Jean Dominique entered a new
phase on 22 June with the submission of the brief by the public prosecutor
to the dean of the civil court, in the absence of Examining Judge Claudy
Gassant. The public prosecutor had apparently asked the examining judge to
expand his investigation. At the same time, Claudy Gassant will have to face
Dany Toussaint's objection to the accusation. The dean of the Civil Court,
Lise Pierre Pierre, said "the next step is that we are waiting for the
return of Judge Gassant. He was probably tired. He left for a while, but he
should come back, probably this week. I do not really know, but I say
probably this week. When he comes, he will take back the dossier to finalize
it." The fact that Gassant will have to answer to the objection of Toussaint
cannot handicap the investigation, which should be allowed to follow its
course, Pierre said.

13. [30] Medical students will be trained in Haiti by Cuban professors. The
training sessions, which are due to start soon, are part of the cooperation
between Port-au-Prince and Havana, Health Minister Henry Claude Voltaire
explained. Voltaire said that there are actually 300 sponsored [Haitian]
medical students in Cuba. The government has decided that training will take
place in Haiti, too. This decision falls within the framework of the human
resources policies.

14. [32] Ads, followed by international news.

15. [44] News summary, followed by ads.

16. [50] Economic segment by Kesner Pharel.

17. [55] Humor segment by Francois Latour.

18. [59] Review of last week's news.

Source: Radio Metropole, Port-au-Prince, in French 1145 gmt 25 Jun 01

/BBC Monitoring/ © BBC.