13544: Pierre: Re: 13525: stanley honorat re: response to post 13526 (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Hyppolite Pierre <hpierre@irsp.org>

Stanley,

The same way that you have been quite consistent in your argument, the same
way I hope I have been. Aristide has been accused time and over by many in
the opposition of among other things thievery, mental disease, and also of
being a criminal. Many of the partisans of his movement are simply tired of
his team not responding to these accusations, as he himself simply doesn't
seem to care. Well, that's his problem and so he now is dealing with the
consequences, and most probably will later.

Having said that, I must quickly add that Haitian politics is at best murky.
I hope Nadal won't take it personally but one of his posts was a good
example that I'd like to use.

Recently, as I am sure many were cheering when they read it, Olivier Nadal
accused Aristide of having stolen millions of dollars from Haiti. He even
gave account numbers from a bank in Tunisia, and a bank in Luxembourg. He
added that Aristide bought a fleet of armored cars (25 if I recall
correctly), each costing the poor Haitian taxpayer not less than 250,000 US
dollars. Now, if you or any close relative of yours live in Haiti, have you
or they seen any of these brand new armored vehicles that Olivier referred
to?

Olivier Nadal also added that Aristide bought an airplane. Now, the next
time that Aristide is leaving Haiti for an official trip abroad, that is
between now and February 7, 2006, I and all of us should make sure that we
know whether he is travelling in his own airplane, or whether it is rented,
or that he just reserved some seats for himself and his entourage on an
American Airlines.

Now let's deal with this issue of changing the guard at Palais National. I
will accept your position at face value, in good faith. I will quickly add
that you must also consider what comes after. Like we say in French, we must
have "l'esprit de suite". So my question to you is , once Aristide leaves
Palais National, who is going to assure the "constitutional transition"?
Leslie Manigat who already says that he would love to be prezidan pwovizwa
(provisional president)? Is that why he recently got together with two other
groups, created something that he calls l'Union Patriotique, and called
himself prezidan of this group while his wife is vis-presidan? Is that why?

My next question to you is in the same context. Do you think that only
Manigat wants Aristide's job in Haiti? Didn't Manigat leave the Convergence
partly because this scenario (that he had finally concocted with the
creation of L'Union Patriotique) wasn't possible with the likes of Paul
Denis, Evans Paul, Gérard Gourgue, and Victor Benoit? So you think that
these guys in the Convergence will simply sit back and unite behind Manigat
as prezidan, while his wife is vis-prezidan? By the way, does Haiti's
constitution authorize for a vice-president? Or is Manigat preparing to have
a new constitution too?

What about all the other "groupuscules"? Don't you think that they also have
their prezidan somewhere hidden up their sleeves?

I hope you get my point. It is simple. If Aristide were to resign, there
would have to be under the best of circumstances a strong contingent of
international force in Haiti because Convergence, l'Union Patriotique et al
would fight against each other to death to get the prezidan job.

So Haiti would be even further destabilize don't you think, Honorat? Well,
maybe not but at least this is a logical deduction. And perhaps it is the
scenario that many are contemplating. Another international force.

Not only that, despite all the problems in Haiti, despite the serious
weaknesses of Lavalas in Haiti, it is still a movement that has viable
support in Haiti. You may say it is not true and you may be right. But it
seems to me that if the electorate is ready and willing to reject Lavalas,
they are in no way interested to embrace Convergence, or Manigat who already
became president after the November 29, 1987 massacre.

So whether there would be an international force or not in Haiti, Haiti
would still be an unstable country for a long time to come. Why? Because
there is a silent majority that doesn't have radio stations but at least has
teledjól to respond, act, and react.

Honorat, what is so scary about going to elections? Or would you rather not
see the OAS as an observer or active participant in the electoral process in
2003? You and I know who the bulk of the opposition would like to see. So we
don't need to go there.

While you're calling Aristide dictator, despite the true and very serious
problems with freedom of the press in Haiti, Haiti's media is much, much
freer today than it has ever been. Why don't you suggest ways to build on
that so we can consolidate the gains that we've made since February 7, 1986?

Now, if you say that there is no freedom of the press whatsoever in Haiti, I
will simply reply to you in Haitian, chapo ba. I will still add that while
Aristide is a dictator, everyone can go on the radio in Haiti and say
whatever they want, whether it is true or not.

I can guarantee you that the day Haiti will have a president who is to the
liking of some powerful groups at home and abroad, no Haitian politician
will dare either calling that president dictator, or for that president's
resignation. If you try like you are doing it here, you will get a good dose
at some temporary jail or shelter, a good raclée, and no one, no media
Haitian or foreign will say anything. Mark my words.

Haiti is experiencing something totally different from what it is used to.
If you wish to get things better in Haiti, I suggest you do this. Learn the
art of negotiations. There is no democracy unless there is negotiations.
Look at Congress in the US, or refer back to the Champs Elysees in France,
or to any modern democracy in the world. So Honorat, if you care about Haiti
as I am sure you do, learn to negotiate.

Also, if Aristide is so corrupt and dictatorial, then the opposition needs
to work hard to get a majority in Parliament in 2003. It can do so by
rolling up its politicians' sleeves, go to the people, the rich like the
poor, and talk to them. Offer them a democratic alternative. When the
opposition get to Parliament, then they can have their Prime Minister. They
can expose Aristide as the crook and the dictator that you call him. At that
point, we will consider impeaching him. I will be with you, then. Until
then, you are on your own as far as I am concerned.

Now Stanley, I hope that you don't live in Haiti, knowing that Aristide is
such a vicious dictator. For if you do live in Haiti and actually are able
to attack him so virulently and so personally, then he is not the dictator
that you are calling him. You know why? 'Cause by now, you would have had at
least a good pataswèl from one of your favorite chimè.

Good day Sir,
Hyppolite Pierre
IRSP
http://www.irsp.org