12876: Re: 12825: elections

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: NLaleau@aol.com
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The masses of Haitian people understand quite well that voting is
important and
want  to do it. Unfortunately their first free vote got them massacred
when
Aristide was overthrown and his followers persecuted. People in Haiti at
all
social levels, but especially the lower levels, discuss it eloquently.
"But you
see, we already had an election... we elected who we wanted... and he got
thrown out, and we were punished for electing him... if we vote again it
might
happen again..." is what one woman in Gonaives told me. Others (in the
December
1995 election) similarly felt they had already elected Aristide and wanted
him
to serve out his full term (the "missing three years"). And when Aristide
didn't urge them to vote (for Preval) until a day or two before the
election,
they boycotted it. You figure out who to blame for that. --nlaleau