13039: Chamberlain (news item): Government Supporters March in Haiti (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Greg Chamberlain <GregChamberlain@compuserve.com>

Demanding Unblocking of Aid, Government Partisans March in Haiti

By Michael Deibert


PORT-AU-PRINCE, September 2 (Reuters) Hundreds of
supporters of Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide
marched through the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince
Monday, calling for the release of millions of dollars
of international aid whose suspension they charge has
driven Haiti to the brink of collapse.

Blowing on conch shells and dancing to a popular
Haitian song whose refrain declared “we don’t want any
sweet talk,” the marchers descended from the
marketplace in the affluent suburb of Petionville to
the headquarters of the Organization of American
States in the Port-au-Prince neighborhood of Bourdon.

“Our country needs development, peace and human
rights, and the Aristide government is working for
that,” said Petionville mayor Sylly Guerrie as he
marched beneath a blazing mid-day sun. “All sectors in
Haiti must collaborate with the international
community, but we need their help.”

Aristide has been locked in a bitter two-year struggle
with the opposition Democratic Convergence coalition
over disputed legislative elections held in May 2000.
The Convergence and international observers contend
that the elections were tabulated unfairly to favor
Aristide’s Lavalas Family political party. The dispute
has resulted in the withholding of over $500 million
of desperately needed international aid.

Despite an initial shoving match with hecklers
shouting “Aristide is a thief,” the march, which was
conducted under heavy police protection, was generally
peaceful in nature and contained a wide variety of
participants, including community and women’s
organizations, that stood in contrast to the violent
young and largely male partisans who have dominated
pro-government street protests as of late.

“Aristide was elected for five years and he should
serve five years, no more, no less,” said an elderly
man carrying a photo of the president. “The
international community should help us.”

Haiti has descended into a state of near-anarchy and
constant upheaval in recent weeks, with protestors,
whose grievances range from a lack of basic services
to having lost money in a pyramid investment scheme,
blocking major roads on a nearly daily basis. In
August, a violent jail break by a former government
militant set off three days of anti-government rioting
in the provincial city of Gonaives after freeing over
150 prisoners.

In addition, gang wars in the capital’s populous Cite
Soleil slum left a dozen dead in the last week, local
media reported.