a1412: BBC monitoring of Sinal FM news 21 Mar 02 (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: JD Lemieux <lxhaiti@yahoo.com>


Haiti: Highlights of Sinal FM Radio news 1230 gmt 21 Mar 02

BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; Mar 22, 2002



Programme: "0730 Appointment" Newscast Reception: good
Duration of broadcast: 60 minutes; figures in brackets
indicate length of time of each item

1. Introduction and headlines. (8 min.)

2. Aristide left Haiti yesterday for Monterrey, Mexico
where he will attend the International Conference on
Financing for Development. Aristide called on people's
organization members not to let themselves be caught in the
trap of provocation. He reminds them that the Constitution
allows everyone to express their opinions. He adds that he
is working to protect peace. (3 min.)

3. In a letter to the Mexican Embassy in the United States,
former Senator Bernard Sansaricq asks for the arrest of
Aristide, whom he describes as a drug dealer, a
mentally-disturbed person, an anarchist, and a murderer. He
hopes President Vicente Fox and Washington will cooperate
for the arrest of Aristide and his extradition to the
United States. He hopes the US Government will treat him
the same way as former Panamanian President Manuel Antonio
Noriega. Sansaricq believes the Mexican Government is now
in a good position to do something positive for the Haitian
people. It should be recalled that Sansaricq was elected
senator in 1990 for six years and went into exile in 1994
as Aristide was returning from exile. (3 min.)

4. Jean-Gerard Dubreuil, secretary of state for public
security, announced for next week the general disarmament
of those bearing illegal weapons. He says this disarmament
campaign will be carried out with the cooperation of armed
groups like those in Cite Soleil who met recently with the
president at the National Palace. (1 min.)

5. Kidnappings continue in Port-au-Prince. Yolette Jacques,
the marketing director of Le Nouvelliste, was kidnapped and
kept for 12 hours by kidnappers who demanded a ransom of
US$200,000. Jean-Dady Simeon, spokesman for the Haitian
National Police, PNH, describes the police intervention to
arrest the kidnappers and then release Mrs Jacques. Simeon
says the intervention was not easy and asks the people to
cooperate with the police. Kidnapping is just one form of
insecurity, he says. He calls on the residents of La Plaine
du Cul de Sac to cooperate with the police by informing
them when they observe that cars are being repainted
clandestinely. (3 min.)

6. Mrs Jacques explains that the kidnappers were waiting
for her in a pickup truck in her own neighbourhood. The
kidnappers then used a Honda CRV car to take her away,
according to Mrs Jacques. (2 min.)

7. Arrested kidnappers explain how this kidnapping took
place and describe their participation. (2 min.)

8. Ads. (4 min.)

9. The opposition is mobilizing for a gathering against the
Lavalas regime that is supposed to take place tomorrow.
Evans Paul, leader of the Convention for Democratic Unity,
KID, says they cannot resume negotiations while their
militants are being kept in jail despite release orders
issued by judicial authorities. Paul says enough is enough.
He adds that all those who disagree with corruption and
with Lavalas disorder must show up. Paul denounces the
practice of violence and the murder of a Convergence member
by Deputy Candio in the Cavaillon area on 17 March. (5
min.) (FBIS plans to process this item)

10. Ads. (2 min.)

11. Economic segment by Georges Henry, Jr on the
International Conference on Financing for Development that
is under way in Monterrey, Mexico. (2 min.)

12. Ads, international news. (4 min.)

13. Prime Minister Yvon Neptune hopes to strengthen action
towards a solution to the Haitian crisis. He says his main
purpose is to reach an agreement between the protagonists.
Neptune said: "The government's doors are not closed. The
president clearly said that there are government ministers
who are willing to resign to make room for members of the
opposition, in the same way that seven senators resigned to
facilitate the negotiations." (2 min.)

14. A large Haitian delegation including Anne Marie Issa,
treasurer of the National Association of Haitian Media,
ANMH, and current director of Signal Radio, Haitian Press
Federation President Adyjeangardy, and other
representatives of the Haitian press participated in a
meeting with US officials held in Tallahassee, Florida from
18 to 19 March. Among the US officials were Governor Jeb
Bush, (Tom Finney), and various senators and congressmen of
Haitian origin such as Philippe Brutus. They discussed
Haiti's current political situation, the difficulties
experienced by the press, and the country's development.
The governor of Florida expressed his concerns about the
violation of freedom of the press in Haiti. He hopes to
give moral support to the Haitian journalists who went into
exile after the 17 December events. Bush said that
Aristide's eight-point letter should be respected. This
meeting was an opportunity for Haitian personalities and US
elected officials to exchange information. (6 min.)

15. Ads. (6 min.)

16. Ambassador Romero Cuevas, representative of the OAS
secretary general in Haiti, and other members of the
diplomatic corps in Haiti met yesterday with Convergence
officials. The discussion focused on the implementation of
the recommendations provided for in Resolution 806 of the
OAS Permanent Council. Convergence officials took the
opportunity to express their concerns over the continuing
repression against their members throughout the country.
Convergence spokesman Paul Denis gave a report to the
press. (2 min.) (FBIS plans to process this item)

17. Aristide announces that he will soon meet with
cooperative officials on the last developments in this
sector. He thinks that banks and cooperatives should hold
in-depth discussions that should result in an agreement
that benefits the country. He says he intends to get
involved in efforts to allow cooperatives to work without
difficulties. He advocates dialogue between the
cooperatives and cooperative members. The following is an
excerpt from his statements: "I will take every measure so
that all cooperatives can work freely while all members in
all cooperatives are not worried." He invites cooperative
officials to share information with their members. (2 min.)
(FBIS plans to process this item)

18. News summary. (3 min.)

Source: Signal FM Radio, Port-au-Prince, in Creole 1230 gmt
21 Mar 02

/BBC Monitoring/ © BBC.

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