a1999: BBC: Several sectors of Haitian society support the call to prayer and adoration (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Robert Benodin <r.benodin@worldnet.att.net>

Haiti: Radio Metropole highlights 1145 gmt 10 May 02
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; May 10, 2002


2. Several sectors of Haitian society support the call to prayer and
adoration issued by the Catholic and Protestant Churches for tomorrow and
Sunday. The nation is invited to pray for peace and a solution to the
crisis. The movement is considered a sign of a great mobilization for a new
start. The leaders of the Christian churches want to ask God's grace on
Haiti for a radical transformation. (4 min)
3. The Port-au-Prince bar association declares that it fully supports the
initiative of the Catholic and Protestant Churches to ask the Haitian people
to pray for the country's deliverance. The association therefore encourages
lawyers and other judicial workers to answer the call, which aims at drawing
God's grace upon Haiti. (1 min)
4. The OAS investigating commission that is looking into the 17 December
events will return to Haiti on Monday, 13 May. The three OAS jurists will
remain in the country until 23 May. They will visit other regions of the
country where there are victims of those events. They will also meet again
with the Lavalas Family, FL, and the Convergence. (3 min)
5. The finance minister is displeased with US Secretary of State Colin
Powell's statement on the absence of progress in Haiti's economy since the
return to democratic order. According to Faubert Gustave, the economic
situation has improved compared to what it was before the current government
took office. Gustave thinks that Powell made a mistake when talking about
Haiti's economy. He said, "//I do not know on what basis the US secretary of
state made that statement. I do not know what kind of report he was given. I
can say that when we came to the Finance Ministry last year, the rate of
inflation was between 18 and 19 per cent, and now it is between 8 and 9 per
cent. I think that some progress was made at that level. The budget deficit
was 2 billion, and now it is 800 million. The rate of exchange is
stabilized, and everybody knows that. So I do not know what the secretary of
state was talking about exactly. There are things that should draw people's
attention. The country is under economic sanctions. The government does not
have all the means it thought it was going to have to implement all its
projects. Therefore, it has to give priority to certain things, according to
its possibilities. I think that if no major skids have taken place that is
because the government is at work.//" Gustave was answering questions of
journalists at the Port-au-Prince international airport. (2 min)
6. The Democratic Convergence has reacted to Finance Minister Gustave's
statement. Paul Denis said, "I completely disagree with what Faubert said.
Before becoming a minister Faubert was known as a reasonable person. I do
not know what happened to him now. What the US secretary of state said about
the Haiti situation is the reality. Faubert ought to explain what he means
because we have a budget deficit of more than 2 billion gourdes, a rate of
inflation higher than 16 per cent, an enormous depreciation of the gourde, a
negative growth of the GDP, a rate of unemployment superior to 70 per cent,
and seriously deteriorated infrastructure. We also have debts that are above
$20 million, which we cannot pay back. So we do not understand how a finance
minister can be satisfied with such a performance." (2 Min)
8. The deterioration of the situation of orthopedic patients at the General
Hospital is a serious concern. The patients, who are suffering while doctors
are on strike, want public health authorities to satisfy the doctors'
demands so that services can resume. (4 min)
9. Doctors say that their strike will continue until their demands are met.
They want the Health Ministry to release money to buy equipment and supplies
that they need. (2 min)
10. Health Ministry officials announce a series of measures to resolve the
crisis at the General Hospital. The director of the Public Health and
Population Ministry, MSPP, said that a council of orthopedists and other
doctors will be formed to manage the situation. Dr Emile Charles said that
the MSPP has already brought medicines that should help take care of
emergency room patients. (1 min)
11. Student doctors have decided to continue the strike despite official
promises. The MSPP promised parliamentarians that it would resolve the
crisis that affects the General Hospital. Health Minister Henry Claude
Voltaire told the deputies that his ministry has adopted measures to improve
the working conditions in the orthopedic section. (1 min)
12. President Aristide arrived in New York yesterday morning to attend the
special UN meeting on children. Aristide is scheduled to speak today. Before
leaving Port-au-Prince yesterday, the head of state urged respect for
children's rights. He encouraged Haitian parents and teachers to avoid
physical punishment for children. (2 min)
16. Special Guest of the Day: Pastor Edouard Paultre of the Protestant
Federation of Haiti on the two days of prayer and adoration that will take
place in the next two days. (10 min)
Source: Radio Metropole, Port-au-Prince, in French 1145 gmt 10 May 02
/¸ BBC Monitoring