a1898: Haiti - Hemisphere Highlights from the CSIS Americas Program (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Stanley  Lucas <slucas@iri.org>

Hemisphere Highlights from the CSIS Americas Program
HAITI
May, 2002
An OAS mission, led by Canadian diplomat David Lee is heading to Haiti
this month to try to sort out a solution to Haiti's deepening political
crisis. In addition to its political woes, the IMF has estimated 2
percent shrinkage of the Haitian economy last year, a continuing decline
in per capita income, external debt arrears, and fiscal deficit. $200
million in IDB loans are being held up until the opposition and the
Aristide administration reach agreement on new elections. Prospects for
a political settlement seem dim. Short of a real move by the
recalcitrant Aristide to open political space, restore rule of law, and
make real concessions toward political reform, the Haitian opposition
will likely have no part of Artistide's overtures to bring them into his
government. For its part, the opposition needs to make a strategic
decision: to continue to negotiate for resolution of a two-year-old set
of disputed electoral outcomes, or to focus instead on building a
credible political alternative and mobilizing the Haitian populace
toward new general elections and a post-Aristide future. Amy
Coughenour-Bentancourt

http://www.csis.org/americas/pubs/hh/0205.htm