12074: Jacques Despinosse and Marc Bazin cohost town hall meeting (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: leonie hermantin <lhermantin@hotmail.com>

Miami Herald posted Sunday May 19, 2002


Town hall meeting examines Haitian issues

Several dozen Haitian Americans from across South Florida gathered Saturday
to speak with a top Haitian minister about the island nation's political
impasse and clouded future.

North Miami Vice Mayor Jacques Despinosse cohosted the town hall meeting
with Marc L. Bazin, who heads the negotiations between President
Jean-Bertrand Aristide's government and the Convergence opposition party.
Bazin said negotiations, which focus on legitimizing Aristide's election in
2000 while setting dates for the next set of elections, have been stalled
since December.

''We want to make Haiti less of a problem to Florida and the rest of the
world,'' Bazin said. ``Each day lost to nonnegotiation is a waste. What
Haiti needs is economic and political stability.''

The town hall meeting took place at the Marriott Biscayne Bay Hotel, 1633 N.
Bayshore Dr., and drew about 40 people, including several North Miami City
Council members and Miami Mayor Manny Diaz. Many expressed hope that
negotiations scheduled to resume on June 10 will prove fruitful.



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