a1514: BBC: CSIG says to prepare for elections (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: JD Lemieux <lxhaiti@yahoo.com>

Haiti: Civil Society Initiative Group says opposition must
prepare for elections
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; Mar 28, 2002



Text of report by Haitian Metropole radio on 27 March

The Civil Society Initiative Group [GISC] has called for a
climate that favours the resumption of the negotiations to
end the crisis. The GISC supports the stance adopted by the
president of the Episcopal Conference, who had invited the
government to adopt certain measures to facilitate the
resumption of the dialogue.

In a note made public yesterday, the GISC urges the
opposition to play its role to the full on the political
scene and to prepare itself for future elections. It
invites citizens to intervene in the debate in order to
force the politicians to move in the right direction.
Spokesman Rosny Desroches said the following to Rotchild
Francois Jr:

[Desroches - recording] For instance, we think that the law
should be applied against those who are notoriously guilty;
and those people who are kept in prison while there is a
court ruling in their favour should be released. We also
think about disarming the armed gangs that are spreading
death, mourning and terror in our urban and suburban
centres. These measures are very important for creating a
climate of confidence and they are susceptible to
facilitating electoral competition in a climate of
serenity.

[Francois] What should the opposition leaders do in this
case?

[Desroches] I think that the opposition should continue to
defend its right to compensation for its premises that were
destroyed. We also think that the opposition should start
to prepare itself for the new electoral competitions that
should take place anyway. We do not know when that will be
yet, because there are certain arrangements that should be
made. For instance, a Provisional Electoral Council [CEP]
should be formed and an electoral apparatus should be set
up, as well as an electoral law.

And all of those things should be done in the right way.
There should be a secure environment so that the political
parties may go out into the field to campaign freely.
Moreover, they need to prepare themselves, their programmes
and their campaign plans so that they may occupy the place
that they might deserve at the level of elective office,
whether in the parliament or in the territorial
collectives.

[Francois] In that note that the GISC released, we notice
that it addresses the citizens, too.

[Desroches] We think that the citizens should not only
speak and express their opinions, but they should also be
mobilized to insist that the current [people in] power must
behave in a responsible manner regarding the needs of the
population and also regarding its obligations at the
management level.

Source: Radio Metropole, Port-au-Prince, in French 1145 gmt
27 Mar 02

/BBC Monitoring/ © BBC.




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