a962: Re: a946: HAITIAN JOURNALISTS CONFRONT DIRE SITUATION (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Jean Saint-Vil <jafrikayiti@hotmail.com>

In complement of...

«PORT-AU-PRINCE, Feb 25 (IPS) -- Nervously speaking in a hotel room on the
outskirts of this capital, top Haitian journalists Guy Delva and Leopold
Berlanger do their best to explain just how dangerous life has become for
the free press here over the past two years.

Since mid-2000, people apparently linked to the government of President Jean
Bertrand Aristide, the former grassroots Catholic priest turned two-term
president, have executed two prominent media practitioners.»

...this touching intro to this incredible piece of «journalism», wouldn't it
be useful to have some background info about Jean Dominique, his link with
Leopold Berlanger, Lavalas and the elections of 2000.

HERE IS JEAN DO's LITTLE KNOWN LAST COMMENTARY - 8 days before his savage
murder by (still unidentified) cowards.

Of all places, you may find this text (french and english translation) on
CIP's website:

http://www.ciponline.org/Haiti/Archives/March-May2000/dominique2.htm

«lie gallops a thousand years...»
---------------------------
Translation of last commentary by Jean Dominique on March 27, 2000

«Credit to Haiti123@aol.com. Haiti123 is a website for the dissemination of
information, analyses and opinions regarding current events in Haiti.
Haiti123's focus is the information, analyses and opinions themselves, not
the author. In order to promote a freer discussion of ideas, and to avoid an
overreliance by readers on the writers' purported perspective, Haiti123
accepts anonymous submissions. Authors are, however, encouraged to cite
specific, public, sources for assertions of fact. Readers are encouraged to
critically evaluate all writings on Haiti, including those on Haiti123, and
to take into account the absence of public sources for any assertion of
fact.»



In the light of the concept of free, transparent, democratic and honest
elections, this should be the duty of of impartial observers? However, Mr.
Leopold Berlanger, the Coordinator of the Conseil National d'Observateurs
(CNO), is part of a coalition, working through Vision 2000, which is engaged
in the destruction of Lavalas. First Point.

Second point. The Senator Wesner Emmanuel at this microphone and publicly,
assuming his responsibility as a functioning senator, pointed out that Mr.
Leopold Berlanger (who at that time had no credentials or title relating to
the election process) during the December 16, 1990 presidential elections
convinced a computer operator to change the results of the senatorial
elections for the West. Senator Wesner Emmanuel further stated that he has a
taped recording of this conversation between the employee and Berlanger and
when this employee told Senator Wesner Emmanuel that the results of the
elections are not the ones being announced by the President of the
Departmental Electoral Bureau, Senator Emmanuel replied that he has a tape
of the conversation with Berlanger and that he would publicize this trickery
on the air. The employee considered this and then retreated and said that
the results are correct and then gave the original results.

Voila, so this individual is now a member of a coalition which for five
years has worked virulently with Vision 2000 against the Lavalas movement
and this same person is the head of a national commission to observe the
elections while in 1990 he tried to manipulate the results, and this is the
person President Leon Manus gave the power to receive all information and
documents related to the electoral process that should be sent to him
quickly: First point.

Second point, to have the monopoly of the electoral observers: that all the
national observers accredited by the CEP to observe the elections must be
recommended by the CNO. Total monopoly! This is the second point.

Third point, which is more critical. In the case whereh is no original or a
duplicate available the observer from the CNO can put together a report of
the balloting as he observed it. This report which contains the numbers
written out would be signed by the members of the head of the electoral
bureau and the observer from the CNO. So, here is Mr. Berlanger having the
power to put together the written report of the results of the vote.

Meanwhile, the electoral law is clear in Article 158: the written process of
the balloting is drawn and signed by the members of the electoral bureau and
in some cases by the representative of the party, groups, or political
groups who are officially recognized, or cartels or candidates. The written
report is prepared in at least six formally signed originals. If the
representative of a party, group, or political party, officially recognized,
or cartels or candidates refuse to sign the report, they will state the
reason invoked or alleged for their refusal to sign and these protestations
have no immediate value, and are only for future reference. The refusal to
sign a report by the representative of the electoral bureau has no effect on
the validity of the electoral operations.

The word observer never appears in Article 158. Never!

Article 159: An original of the written report of the balloting is attached
to the door of the electoral bureau by the president of the bureau and the
other originals are distributed as follows: one to the BEC, two to the BED
which transmits one to the CEP, two others go to the two representatives of
the candidates that obtained the largest number of votes.

There is no mention in the electoral law of an original written report or a
copy to be given to an observers named by Berlanger . No mention whatsoever.
The question we are posing now before further analyzing this text, which is
unbelievable, is the following: Is President Manus, the president of the
CEP, qualified to sign an agreement which contradicts the text and the
spirit of the electoral law?

We have noted in the course of the electoral process, with the passion that
you all know we have, the legitimate suspicion that there is a threat to the
process with the successive unpleasant revelations of the role of IFES
inside of the CEP and financed and directly manipulated by USAID. So, these
legitimate suspicions about the CEP are getting larger by that unbelievable
accord with the CNO. The question we are asking is the following: Did
President Manus sign this very important text to give Mr. Leopold Berlanger
the possibility of altering the results of the vote? Is President Manus'
signature in accord with the other
eight members of the CEP? I already know that one of them doesn't even know
about the accord.

Secondly, Berlanger, who is the Coordinator General of the CNO, did he check
with the CNO to sign, negotiate and sign the text? Thirdly, it is written in
this agreement that all the documents should be directed to the executive.
Did they send this protocole d'accord to the Executive? I direct this
question to the President of the Republic.


--------
Why is it this (LAST !!!!) editorial is so unknown to the public. And now
Jean Dominique's name is being used against his own struggle for a free and
just haitian society.... Why???? Can the journalists on the list tell us
why?

Jafrikayiti

«An axis of hypocrits is trying to finish off Haiti but as always, we shall
overcome!!!»


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