13751: Karshan: AHP on formation of electoral council and OAS/Haiti terms of referencee (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: MKarshan@aol.com

AHP News- November 19, 2002- English translation (Unofficial)

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Some of the sectors concerned in the formation of the new CEP communicate
their choice to the Executive Branch
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Port-au-Prince, November 19, 2002- (AHP)- Some of the sectors concerned in
the formation of the new CEP officially communicated on Tuesday the names of
their representative.

Father Freud Jean, also known as a leader of the OPL party (Organization of
the People in Struggle), has been chosen to represent the human rights
organizations, François Benoît is representing the private sector, and
Pauris Jean-Baptiste, the Protestant  Federation of Haiti.

The Coordinating Committee of the Organizations of Protestant Churches in
Haiti has chosen Abraham Laureston, Max Mathurin is the choice to represent
the Episcopal Church, and Roselaine Julien was chosen to represent the
Catholic Church.

The political parties that are members of Democratic Action, a political
grouping that is not a member of the Democratic Convergence, has made the
choice of Volvick Rémy Joseph to represent it on the new CEP.

The Fanmi Lavalas party has already chosen its representative. Only the
Democratic Convergence continues to call for option zero nearly three years
after the legislative elections of May 21, 2000.

The OAS electoral mission led by Amb. Orlando Marville had at that time
taken issue with the first round election of six or seven Senators who were
leading in the balloting.

These senators have since handed in their resignations in order to
facilitate a resolution of the crisis arising from these controversies. And
the government has accepted to organize early elections in 2003, thus
providing its support for shortening the terms of the Deputies and a group
of Senators.

However, the Convergence is still advocating a clean slate and some
important sectors of the international community are still maintaining their
economic sanctions against Haiti. This is not without regrettable
consequences for the situation of the disadvantaged populations.

AHP November 19, 2002 5:00 PM

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The five sectors of civil society commit themselves to communicate
immediately the name of their representative to the CEP
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Port-au-Prince, November 19, 2002- (AHP)- The five sectors of civil society
committed themselves Tuesday to communicate immediately, by separate letter,
the name of their representative to the CEP.

The organizations are the Haitian Conference of Bishops (CEH), the
Protestant Federation of Haiti (FPH), the Episcopal Church of Haiti, the
Justice and Peace Commission, and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of
Haiti.

These sectors had sought a moratorium of 15 days to designate their
representative to the new Provisional Electoral Council (CEP).

In a letter to President Jean Bertrand Aristide, the above-mentioned sectors
agreed to ask their representative not to take the oath of office in front
of the High Court before favorable conditions have been put in place,
notably with respect to reparations for the victims of December 17th,
enabling the other sectors to designate in turn their representative to the
CEP.

These sectors state that they are attaching great importance to the full
implementation of all clauses of OAS Resolutions 806 and 822 and to
committing themselves to oversee the follow through in terms of putting into
motion the machinery of government in prosecuting the individuals implicated
in the violence of December 17 relating to a deadly attack against the
National Palace.

The authorities must also commit themselves to see to the follow through of
cases relating to justice, disarmament, security for the elections, human
rights, good governance and professionalization of the Haitian National
Police (PNH).

The signatories to this letter have also indicated that whether their
representative remains on the CEP will depend on there being a positive
evolution of these various matters, given their importance to the successful
unfolding of the elections.

The Haitian authorities made public on November 15th the terms of reference
relating to the request for technical assistance made by the government to
the OAS.

These terms of reference, prepared by a joint committee of the government
and the OAS, cover the totality of the electoral process, from security for
members of the CEP to that of the staff of the polling stations, the
electorate and the candidates.

Other than the elections, the terms particularly address the questions of
professionalization of the PNH, justice, and disarmament.

The Secretary of State for Communication, Mario Dupuy, appealed to leaders
of the Democratic Convergence Monday to assume their responsibility to the
Haitian people by designating their representative to the electoral body.

The Convergence on Sunday once again called for application of option zero
during a demonstration of several thousand people in  Cap-Haïtien.

AHP November 19, 2002 3:45 PM