8567: Highlights of Radio Haiti-Inter news (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

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

 Haiti: Highlights of Radio Haiti-Inter news 1200 gmt 5 Jul 01
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; Jul 5, 2001


The "Inter Current Events" news programme; figures in brackets indicate
times in minutes elapsed since start of programme; passages within double
oblique strokes in Creole

1. [00] Prelude to the "Inter Current Events" news followed by ads,
headlines and ads.

2. [11] Report on the US dollar exchange rates in various Port-au-Prince
banks yesterday.

3. [12] Ads.

4. [13] Report by Fritzon Aureus: President Jean-Bertrand Aristide left
Haiti yesterday for Nassau, the Bahamas, where he will participate in the
22nd summit of the heads of State and government of the Caribbean Community,
Caricom. In a statement made at the Port-au-Prince Mais Gate International
Airport, the head of State said that he wishes the negotiations to resume as
soon as possible so that a balanced agreement can be reached to resolve the
political crisis. Aristide revealed before leaving the country that meetings
have been held with political personalities involved in the crisis since the
failure of the Montana Hotel negotiations. Aristide said that he is
confident that negotiations will resume.

He thinks it is important to carry on with the progress that has already
been made. "//I have chosen to look forward with you so that before long we
can restart negotiating, that we can restart the inter-Haitian talks until
we reach a balanced agreement to get out of this political and economic
crisis. While I am talking here, contacts are being made in the field//" for
the resumption of the dialogue. He added: "//Upon my return, I will
accompany all those who so desire so that we can keep up the dialogue.//" He
announced that he will see to it that the pause observed in the dialogue
yesterday does not recur. He does not rule out the possibility of
participating personally in the discussions if that can allow the crisis to
be resolved. He said that he hopes that the conditions can be met so that he
can meet with opposition leaders if necessary. As for the idea of redoing
the 21 May elections, Aristide said that his party's grassroots have a say
in the matter.

5. [13] The word failure has been used moderately since yesterday. Everybody
says that it is a word used by the press and that it is not really a failure
but instead a suspension. The Democratic Convergence says it is determined
to return to the negotiating table. Gerard Pierre-Charles, a member of the
Convergence directorate, said during a news conference that his group is
determined to carry on with its patriotic struggle in order to force those
he describes as usurpers to reach an agreement essential to the restoration
of democratic normalcy in the country. An excerpt from his statements
follows: "The Lavalas delegation took a dramatic step backwards. Resuming
the hard tone of the speeches of populist usurpation, [Lavalas Family, FL,
interim leader] Yvon Neptune and [Prime Minister] Cherestal declared that
the people had given a mandate to Lavalas that is not negotiable. They
therefore put an end to the people's hopes." Pierre-Charles added that the
Lavalas government has demonstrated "its refusal to compromise" and "once
again, this tactic of false appearance and stalling tactics." Pierre-Charles
added that the Lavalas government has shown that its only concern is to
obtain external financial assistance. "While deeply deploring the failure of
the negotiations, the Democratic Convergence says it is ready to resume
them," according to Pierre-Charles.

6. [16] The resolution taken by the 34 OAS countries at the beginning of
June provides that the next Provisional Electoral Council, CEP, should hold
elections to replace seven resigning senators and renew the Chamber of
Deputies. Victor Benoit, another Convergence member, yesterday expressed the
wish that the FL accept the terms of the resolution of the Civil Society
Initiative Group, GISC, that suggests notably the total resumption of the 21
May elections at the end of the year 2001. If this is done, the Convergence
will give up its requirement that the 26 November elections be assessed by
the next CEP. Benoit said that this time the OAS and the Friends of Haiti
made every effort to help resolve the crisis.

7. [17] Report by Hinche correspondent Bosner Pierre: The spokesman for the
Democratic Consultation Group, Espace, in the upper Plateau Central, Hubert
Fleurissaint [phonetic] said that the failure of the negotiations clearly
shows that the Haitian people do not want to follow the logic of the Lavalas
government. He added that FL is using delaying tactics in order to keep the
crisis alive. The following is an excerpt from Fleurissaint's statements:
"//We in the Convergence do not call that a failure. We call that a victory
for both democracy and the Haitian people.//" He added: "//Lavalas said that
it could form the CEP without the Convergence. We have shown that it
cannot.//" Furthermore, Fleurissaint said that the Convergence will remain
mobilized until the Lavalas government realizes that it has to annul the 21
May 2000 elections and form an honest CEP to hold good elections in Haiti.

8. [18] The word failure was avoided yesterday at the US ambassador's
residence on the occasion of the celebration of US Independence Day.
Everybody preferred to talk about a temporary suspension of the negotiations
and everybody seemed to be willing to resume the dialogue that might
actually resume tomorrow, according to reliable sources.

9. [19] OAS Assistant Secretary-General Luigi Einaudi has called on the
parties involved in the Haitian crisis to continue with consultations so
that an agreement can be reached. In a written statement made public
yesterday, Einaudi spoke in good terms of the progress observed in the
negotiations for the resolution of the Haitian crisis and the concessions
made by both parties. Einaudi blamed Micha Gaillard for attributing the
failure of the negotiations to FL. Einaudi explained that if there are
recriminations, they should be levelled at both sides. Aristide met Einaudi
in Nassau yesterday. Further details will be provided later.

10. [20] Ads.

11. [25] During a news conference yesterday at the airport before his trip
to Nassau, the president spoke of the suspension of the negotiations. He
also talked about issues such as security and justice that are among the
main demands of the majority of Haitians. He spoke of the necessity to
maintain a climate of security in the country while pointing out that
progress made in this field has already encouraged Haitians and foreigners
to visit the country. A few hours after his arrival in the Bahamas, Aristide
met several thousand Haitians living there. He invited them to come and
invest in Haiti, and he gave them security guarantees. Jacques Maurice, a
member of the National Palace Press Service reporting on Aristide's trip,
mentioned Aristide's satisfaction following his meeting with Einaudi and the
Haitian community in the Bahamas. Maurice also explained that Aristide
recalled the role of Haitians living abroad, pointing out that they make
annual contributions of more than 1bn gourdes to the national economy.

12. [30] Ads followed by recapitulation and ads.

13. [35] Headlines to be developed later.

14. [37] Aristide said he is going to answer a letter from the International
Alliance for Justice to Jean Dominique on the need to render justice to
Dominique. "//I keep the same promise I made,//" Aristide affirmed. Writing
to Aristide in support of justice for Dominique, 223 personalities of the
artistic world deplored the fact that in spite of Aristide's promises of
justice for Dominique no significant progress has been observed so far.

15. [41] Luckner Momplaisir, deputy mayor of Port-au-Prince, has denied any
involvement in the violent actions perpetrated recently in Fort-Mercredi. He
explained that he was abroad during the incidents and that people who want
to destroy him politically cited his name in this respect. He rejected the
human rights organizations' investigations that reported his involvement in
the incidents, saying that these organizations have their own political
affiliation that is contrary to his. He said among other things: "//There is
a political hand behind what happened in Fort-Mercredi and in which they are
trying to involve Momplaisir. We are asking this political hand to show
itself clearly to say what it is doing. However, we are calling for great
care regarding many groups of people who have their own political
organizations and who have set up human rights organizations with the
purpose of weakening Lavalas.//" The organizations that investigated these
incidents found out that Momplaisir's bodyguard and Felix Bien-Aime,
director of the Port-au-Prince Cemetery, were involved.

16. [46] International news followed by ads.

17. [54] Report by Dafus Richard: The police have broken up a network of
swindlers who operate near the US Consulate in Port-au-Prince. They extort
money from people who want to go to the United States. They try to convince
those who have been denied a visa that they can help them get visas in spite
of the Consulate's refusal. Eleven people were arrested for involvement in
these illegal activities. One of the swindlers told reporters how they
operate.

18. [59] Report by Leogane correspondent Julman Saint-Fort: A presumed
bandit called Cliffort Descayettes [phonetic] was shot four times in Leogane
yesterday by three unidentified individuals who went to his house and took
him to the new road where they shot him. It should be pointed out that
Descayettes, who is now in hospital in Leogane, is known as a gang leader.
Many people think what happened to him was a settling of scores.

19. [62] International news.

20. [65] Report by Les Cayes correspondent Valens Georges on the closing
yesterday of the criminal trials without juries in that city. Three of the
nine defendants who were tried have been sentenced. These trials began on 18
June and had to be postponed because of the absence of some judges on health
grounds.

21. [68] Report on the progress made by the Chamber of Deputies on the vote
on the national budget. The chamber should complete this morning the
ratification of the rectifying budget law.

22. [72] Ads.

23. [77] Economic segment by Pierre Emmanuel: This economic segment began
with the presentation of a report on the dollar exchange rates observed in
the various banks established in Port-au-Prince. Emmanuel talked about a
fall in the Euro exchange rate on the European market and then announced the
main Haitian economic news for today, the proposed merger of the General
Society Bank, Sogebank, and the Haitian Union Bank, BUH. The Central Bank
governor went to the Senate of the Republic yesterday to answer senators'
questions about this possible purchase of BUH by Sogebank. Senator Pierre
Sancon Prince, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, explained that the
meeting took place to discuss the general situation of Haiti's banking
system and the possible purchase of BUH by Sogebank. He explained that the
senators were afraid that Sogebank might have a monopoly given the import
part of the market that is under its control. The governor was asked about
the process of transferring BUH's assets to Sogebank. Prince thinks it would
be good to consider other banks' offers to purchase BUH so as to avoid a
monopoly by Sogebank. To conclude the economic segment, Emmanuel reported on
the passage by Russian parliamentarians of a law against money laundering.

24. [90] Cultural news: On the occasion of the bicentennary of the first
Haitian constitution promulgated by Toussaint Louverture in 1801, the
government has announced a series of activities including lectures and
cultural exhibitions in honour of Louverture. Jean-Claude Desgranges, head
of President Aristide's private cabinet, announced: "The Presidency and the
Ministry of Culture and Communication are pleased to announce that the
weekend of 8 July will be the weekend of the commemoration of the
bicentennial of the 1801 Constitution."

25. [95] Sports.

Source: Radio Haiti-Inter, Port-au-Prince, in French 1200 gmt 5 Jul 01

/BBC Monitoring/ © BBC.