12132: This Week in Haiti 20:9 5/15/2002 (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

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                           HAITI PROGRES
              "Le journal qui offre une alternative"

                      * THIS WEEK IN HAITI *

                        May 15 - 21, 2002
                          Vol. 20, No. 9

PROMINENT SENATOR TARGETED IN INTER-LAVALAS STRUGGLE

On the night of May 6, gunmen fired on the car of Sen. Prince
Pierre Sonson  in his hometown of Cayes-Jacmel, fatally wounding
his bodyguard, Robert Blémur.

The following week, on the night of May 12, unknown arsonists in
the southeastern town set fire to the home of the senator's
mother, Dieula Prince, partially burning it. She had taken refuge
in Port-au-Prince since May 7 and was not home at the time.
Neighbors extinguished the fire.

The circumstances surrounding the May 6 shooting remain cloudy.
Sen. Sonson had apparently returned to the town to reopen the
mayor's office, which had been closed three weeks ago by the
Interior Minister following charges of impropriety.

In an initial declaration, Sen. Sonson made the incident sound
almost like an accident. "Last night, as I was driving around the
streets of Cayes-Jacmel, unknown gunmen fired on my car," he
said. "When I alerted the police, they told me that there were
gangs guarding the mayor's office and that it was probably they
who fired... There were some Lavalas militants who decided to
reopen the Cayes-Jacmel mayor's office. I approached to see what
was going on. When I got near the mayor's office, someone fired
on my car."

Blémur was shot in the eye and rushed to a hospital in Port-au-
Prince, where he died a few days later.

By then, Sen. Sonson's tone had changed. "It was professionals
who shot him," he charged. "This is not something that we
consider a mere accident." Sonson said that "a militant" told him
that the attack was "arranged in Port-au-Prince" and that "names
had been cited, but I am going to remain reserved right now and
not cite any names" He said that "later, depending how the case
proceeds, I might cite names to a judge."

Sen. Sonson is a prominent member of President Jean Bertrand
Aristide's Lavalas Family party (FL) and has been outspoken about
the party's political failings and the need to lift parliamentary
immunity on Sen. Dany Toussaint, a former soldier accused of
involvement in the murder of radio journalist Jean Dominique on
April 3, 2000.

This call, in particular, has aroused the enmity of Sen.
Toussaint, who, along with two other former military officers,
Sens. Fourèl Célestin and Joseph Médard, form a parliamentary
clique called the "soldiers."

Meanwhile, Sen. Sonson has two stalwart parliamentary allies,
Sens. Gerard Gilles and Lans Clonès. All three are medical
professionals and make up a counter-clique called the "doctors."

The two cliques have repeatedly sparred on the Senate floor.
Célestin is now president of the Senate.

In January, Sen. Sonson charged publicly that he was being
threatened by Sen. Toussaint. Toussaint charged that Sonson had
been inciting people to burn down the homes of opposition leaders
following a failed assassination attempt on Aristide on Dec. 17.
Sonson claims he was out that day trying to calm the enraged
crowds.

"I will not let myself by silenced by anybody and I am ready to
die with the truth on my lips," Sonson declared.

While the senator is reluctant to reveal his version of the truth
about the events of May 6, some of Sonson's supporters were
anxious to offer their explanation. "It's Dany Toussaint and
Fourèl Célestin who are involved in this affair," one of them
told Radio Métropole. "I am a member of the Lavalas Family in
Cayes-Jacmel and have endured much evil pressure for what has now
happened where Sen. Prince's bodyguard has fallen."

The conflict in Cayes-Jacmel involves a local gang called Face-à-
Face (Face to Face), which is hostile to Sen. Sonson, and which
his followers claim is financed by Toussaint and Célestin. Face-
à-Face also opposes Cayes-Jacmel mayor Ernest Fils, a political
ally of Sonson.

Meanwhile, Célestin has criticized Sonson for getting involved in
affairs far outside his authority, like trying to reopen the
mayor's office in the middle of the night. Célestin called
Sonson's conduct "a bad example."

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Please credit Haiti Progres.

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