14207: (Chamberlain) Haiti-Protests (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Greg Chamberlain <GregChamberlain@compuserve.com>

   By MICHAEL NORTON

   PORT-AU-PRINCE, Dec 26 (AP) -- More than 180 groups ranging from
businesses to student associations declared jointly Thursday that they
won't support upcoming elections unless the government does more to fight
crime and safeguad civil liberties.
   The government of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide is planning for
legislative elections by June. But the coalition said several conditions
must be met before Haiti can begin a "credible, democratic electoral
process."
   Among their conditions, they demand that authorities disarm criminal
gangs, arrest perpetrators of political violence and take more steps to
guarantee security.
   Anti-government protests since mid-November have left at least three
dead and more than 350 injured. In response, police have banned all
demonstrations until Jan. 8, calling the period a holiday season "truce."
   The opposition has denounced the ban as a violation of its right to
assemble freely.
   Thursday's declaration was unprecedented in the amount of groups uniting
to make demands of Aristide's government. They included labor unions,
business associations, human rights groups, professional groups, Haitian
news organizations and neighborhood committees.
   They gave the government until Jan. 15 to begin satisfying the demands,
which also include allowing peaceful demonstrations, freeing political
prisoners and guaranteeing freedom of the press.
   The government, which did not immediately respond, has denied holding
political prisoners and said it is doing everything possible to ensure
journalists' safety.
   Aristide has condemned violence and pledged that next year's legislative
elections would help heal political divisions.
   The government and opposition have been locked in dispute since flawed
legislative elections won by Aristide's party in 2000, and the
international community has since suspended hundreds of millions of dollars
in aid.