13232: This Week in Haiti 20:27 9/18/2002 (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

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                           HAITI PROGRES
              "Le journal qui offre une alternative"

                      * THIS WEEK IN HAITI *

                     September 18 - 24, 2002
                          Vol. 20, No. 27


DISMAY FROM POPULAR ORGANIZATIONS

Many urban popular organizations, which have traditionally
supported Jean Bertrand Aristide's government, have passed from
quiet grumbling to loudly voicing their disapproval of the ruling
Lavalas Family (FL) party's course.

In the southeastern city of Jacmel, for example, the Coalition of
Principled Organized Haitians (KAKO) broke its long silence with
a press conference on Sep. 11, the anniversary of a 1988 massacre
at Aristide's former church, St. Jean Bosco, and the 1993
assassination of pro-democracy activist Antoine Izméry.

KAKO's Daly Auguste said that the organization would no longer
sit down with any of the FL parliamentarians from the region,
whom he accused of "using the population to get power" and then
"betraying the demands of the popular masses." He called on them
to all resign so that a "new wind of hope" could blow.

In the southern city of Cayes, Lucien Orgella heads another
popular organization calling on Aristide to return to "the
people's plan."

"Down with the senators, we want to take back Aristide," he said.
"Down with the deputies, we want to reclaim Aristide from the
international community."

Meanwhile, in St. Marc, the formerly pro-FL popular organization
Balewouze (Clean Sweep), which has repeatedly clashed with
partisans of the Democratic Convergence opposition front, also
criticized FL parliamentarians and adopted the slogan "Aristide
must return to his base."

Generally, disillusioned popular organizations blame, not
Aristide, but his entourage and appointees for the government's
"betrayal" of their demands. "For a president who has overseen
the sale of Haitian territory to build free trade zones and the
repression of peasants, who has defended the interests of
Washington and the bourgeoisie, do they really think Aristide is
going to return to his base?" a Haïti Progrès columnist asked.
"That would be a miracle!"


STUDENTS OCCUPY STATE UNIVERSITY RECTORATE

On Tuesday, Sep. 17 at about 1 p.m., a group of students close to
the Resistance Front at the State University of Haiti occupied
the rectorate of Haiti's State University. They are demanding
that Charles Tardieu -- the president of the provisional council
named by Education Minister Myrtho Celestin -- vacate his post.
The students also said that the action was part of a larger
mobilization to protest the "de facto" council Celestin set in
place. They have denounced Tardieu and other members of the
provisional council.

Police dispatched to the scene had not penetrated the rectorate's
yard, at press time.

For several days, members of the Resistance Front have announced
that they would hold a demonstration on Sep. 19. On Aug. 22,
students and sympathizers of the Resistance Front tried to hold a
protest march against the Education Minister's intrusion into
sovereign university affairs, but were prevented from doing so by
an aggressive pro-government counter-demonstration.


JACMEL MAYOR ASKS FOR HELP

When indigents die in Jacmel, they are stuffed into a garbage
collection box, thrown in a hole in the ground, and covered with
dirt.

To provide more dignity and ceremony to the passing away of
paupers, Jacmel city authorities began constructing a municipal
funeral chapel several months ago. But lack of money has slowed
the project to a crawl, Jacmel mayor Hugues Paul said this week.
To finish the job, Paul has put out a call to Jacmelians, both in
the city and living around the world, to send contributions for
the project to his city hall.

Despite the obstacles, Paul said he is optimistic that the city
will be able to finish and inaugurate the chapel by November.


GARBAGE LAW IMMINENT

For Port-au-Prince residents in recent years, garbage collection
has become the barometer of how well things are going in the
country as a whole. Recently, in the streets of the capital,
garbage has been piling up sky high.

Perhaps this perception moved Environmental Minister Webster
Pierre to issue a Sep. 12 communiqué fixing Sep. 23 as the last
day that people can dump their garbage in the street. For the
first week, until Sep. 30, the police will give warnings. "Then,
in the first phase, violators will have to pay a fine of at least
100 gourdes [about $3.75]," Pierre said. "Another phase we are
considering is tougher, because the penalty will be at least two
months in prison."

Despite the tough talk, Pierre has generally missed his own
deadlines. On Aug. 24, he gave himself until Sep. 9 to clean up
all the garbage clogging Port-au-Princes streets and drainage
canals.

"There is still lots of garbage in the canal," said Jean Joseph,
who lives alongside the large Bwadchenn drainage trench. "When
the water comes, it has nowhere to go. The canal is clogged with
plastic juice bottles, boxes, and car chassis. When it rains, the
water takes all the garbage from the streets, and sends it into
the canal, which sends it to the sea, but then the sea sends the
garbage back."

As for Minister Pierre's clean-up, Joseph doesn't hold out much
hope. "At nights sometimes you hear the garbage trucks," he said,
"but when you get up the next morning, the garbage is still
there."

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