14327: Karshan: Quotes from & analysis of Pres. Aristide's Independence Day speech (Radio Natl) (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: MKarshan@aol.com


Haiti: President Aristide decries economic sanctions in Independence Day
speech

BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; Jan 02, 2003


President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, in a speech in Gonaives at ceremonies to
mark the 199th anniversary of the proclamation of Haiti's independence in
Gonaives in 1804, has said that the economic sanctions imposed upon Haiti are
"//a blatant violation of human rights//". His speech was broadcast live by
Haitian Radio Nationale at 1700 gmt (1200 local time) on 1 January 2003.
Throughout this item, quoted passages in double oblique strokes were in
French, while the subheadings have been inserted editorially.

(As well as repeatedly calling on the audience to repeat with him: "Haitians
can make Haiti 2003 times more beautiful"; and "It [the president's term in
office] is not for 10 but for five years"; and "Unblock the country,"
President Aristide also referred to the heroic events leading to the
proclamation of Haiti's independence, called on the people to stand up for
their rights - including the sacred right to eat - and repeated several
times: "Yes to elections, no to coup d'etat." Aristide also called for the
perpetrators of several murders to be brought to justice, spoke about
economic sanctions, measures and sacrifices, and announced an amnesty or a
reduction in sentence for 78 convicted people. Finally, he announced various
economic projects to take place in 2003.)

Making Haiti 2003 times more beautiful

Aristide began his speech by welcoming those present at the ceremony. Then he
said: "Haitians can make Haiti 2003 times more beautiful. Let us repeat with
me: [in chorus with the audience] Haitians can make Haiti 2003 times more
beautiful."

Aristide made historical references and praised Haitian heroes Jean-Jacques
Dessalines and Toussaint Louverture, and said: "Given Haiti is the first
black republic that enjoyed freedom on earth, nothing, nothing, nothing will
ever be able to delete this title of champion. Haiti is a champion. Nobody
can change that. Congratulations to Haiti and to all Haitians. Wave the flags
for Haiti. Big applause for the Haitian people." [Applause]

He explained that the ending of slavery in Haiti meant pushing away borders
and barriers so that mankind could enjoy freedom everywhere. He added: "//In
fact, as early as 1 January 1804, Haiti, the mother of freedom, showed the
way to the independence of the peoples beyond our borders.//" He mentioned
the years which marked the independence of various Latin American countries
and said: "//The year 1803 [which marked the creation of the Haitian flag in
Arcahaie on 18 May and the final victory of Haitian troops over Napoleon's
army before Haiti's proclamation of independence on 1 January 1804] marked
Haitian history deeply. The year 1803 was the year of 1,000 fights. The year
1803 was the year of great victories.//"

After evoking the revolt of the Haitian slaves and recalling victories by the
Haitian Indigenous Army over the English and the French, he said: "As you
observe, the delivery for Haiti's independence was a Caesarean section
performed without anaesthetic. Fortunately, if the cockerel's strength lies
in his spurs, Haiti's strength lies in Haitians; Haiti's strength lies in
Haitians [repetitions as heard throughout]. [Applause] It is true that we
cannot get blood from a stone, but Haitians can make Haiti 2003 times more
beautiful. Haitians can make Haiti 2003 times more beautiful. Haitians can
make Haiti 2003 times more beautiful. Repeat with me please. Once again.
Haitians can make Haiti 2003 times more beautiful."

"Eating is a sacred right"

Aristide recalled that there was a great mobilization in 1803 and pointed out
that in 2003 there must be even more mobilization. He then spoke about the
mobilization for the government's literacy campaign. He called on the people
to demand respect for their rights. "In addition to education, education and
freedom of speech, eating is a sacred right." He made several comments on the
people's sacred right to eat while pointing out that "hunger is not sweet and
an empty bag cannot stand. Therefore, the wall of apartheid must fall
peacefully so that everybody can eat every day and several times a day."
[Applause]

Furthermore, he said: "Because every person is a person, everybody is
supposed to eat. Eating is a sacred right. Everybody must eat every day.
Therefore, we must shake the apartheid wall peacefully every day until
everyone finds a seat around the table as they should."

"Yes to elections, no to coup d'etat"

Aristide went on to say that Haiti's 200 years of history must be turned
towards building the rule of law. He advocated the spirit of compromise among
all Haitians and denounced two extreme positions that should be rejected:
"//Dictatorship and anarchy. Let us put up democracy to oppose these extreme
positions.//"

He also spoke of the need to form the new Provisional Electoral Council (CEP)
and called on the nine institutions concerned to send their representatives
to the CEP. He added that the Haitian people would like elections to be held.
After proposing a survey to determine whether the Haitian people want
elections, he invited them to raise their hands if they agreed with his
stance in favour of elections. Then he thanked them. He went on to say: "The
people's voice is God's voice - The year 2002 is an electoral year. So, yes
to elections, no to coup d'etat; yes to elections, no to coup d'etat; yes to
elections, no to coup d'etat."

Aristide then said: "//Let us not be afraid of universal suffrage. Do not be
afraid of universal suffrage; do not be afraid of universal suffrage.// Are
you afraid of going to elections?" The crowd answered: "No". He recalled that
a president is elected for five years and got the crowd to repeat with him:
"It is not for 10 but for five years." (This was repeated five times.) He
announced that there will be security before and after the elections and
congratulated the people, because they are in favour of elections in spite of
their problems.

He went on to repeat again, twice (as heard): "Yes to elections, no to coup
d'etat. Yes to elections, no to coup d'etat." He asked if anybody would like
to experience again the situation that prevailed after September 1991 when
they used to go into hiding. After the crowd replied: "No", he added that
nobody would go into hiding again. He said: "We are a free people and we
shall remain free. Nobody will go into hiding again." He explained that
everybody would like "to live in total and complete freedom" and went on to
say that when there is a coup d'etat, the people go into hiding. Therefore,
he invited them to take a stand against coups d'etat, against going into
hiding and in favour of elections.

Unblocking the country

Then, after reiterating several times: "//Haitians can make Haiti 2003 times
more beautiful,//" he explained that "too many forces of hypocrisy have
blocked the country". Then, he invited the audience to say with him and
several times: "Unblock the country. Let us go: Unblock the country. [In
chorus with the audience] Again: Unblock the country. [In chorus with the
audience]. [Let us repeat it] louder: Unblock the country [together with the
audience]. Is the country blocked? [the crowd answered: "Yes"] Would you like
the country to be unblocked? [the crowd answers: "Yes"]. Let us cry aloud:
Unblock the country - Let us repeat aloud and with all our hearts: Unblock
the country."

He asked the audience to applaud all those who are working for the
development of the country. He called on the people to "mobilize all forces
of truth to protect the country against lies, disinformation and
denigration". He invited the audience to stand against the forces that are
telling lies about Haiti. He spoke of the need to raise higher the flag that
represents Haiti's dignity every day.

Justice

Artistide went on to recall: "//A century ago, on 20 March 1903, President
Nord Alexis invited his secretary of state for justice to inaugurate the
Consolidation Legal Proceedings. Today, 100 years later, I invite the
judicial authorities to open, as soon as possible, I say this well, to open
as soon as possible; I am repeating, to open as soon as possible, the way for
the trials [of the murderers] of Jean Dominique, Jean-Claude Louissaint,
Minister Guy Malary, Fathers Jean-Marie Vincent and Jean Pierre-Louis, the
victims of the Saint-Jean Bosco, Jean-Rabel and Piatte massacres, the 5,000
victims of the coups d'etat of 30 September 1991, 17 December [2001] and 28
July 2001 [order of dates as heard].

//"Legal proceedings must be instituted against the authors and parties to
the villainous crimes perpetrated in the years 2001 and 2002 such as the
murders of Brignol Lindor, the Duverger case, the murder of Maxime Seide, the
murders by the armed branch of the opposition of: Judge Christophe Lozama and
of citizens Louis Dorsainvil, Severe Joseph, Leony Laverne and Jean-Harry
Sigue. Let us encourage the judicial authorities with patriotic applause.//"

He added that "//the struggle against impunity must continue because social
peace and respect for human rights are intertwined//".

After asking if people in the audience had ever been victims of crime or had
relatives who have been victims, he said: "Let us cooperate so that there can
be more justice." Then he offered a patriotic embrace to the police while
expressing the hope that they will continue to establish more security.

Economic sanctions, measures

Aristide then asked, rhetorically:, "//Is it necessary to recall how unfair
the economic sanctions inflicted on our people are?//" He described the
sanctions as "//a blatant violation of human rights//". He talked about the
economic sacrifices made by the government in 2002 to keep the social and
economic balance, despite the "//disastrous consequences entailed by the
economic sanctions//". He pointed out that the economic sanctions against the
government have created a slowdown in economic activities. He also pointed
out, however, that the government has made efforts to control the budget
deficit and to maintain the stability of the exchange rate until June. He
explained that investments totalling about 1.9bn gourdes, 21 per cent more
than in 2001, had been made. These funds were invested in roads, schools and
health centres, he said.

He then spoke of measures taken to make the Haitian economy more dynamic in
2003. He announced plans to fight drug trafficking and the continuation of
the government's policy of putting things right and of struggling against
corruption in order to make good use of the government's resources. He added
that "//administrative measures and the passage of bills aimed at modernizing
the tax on turnover, income tax and the communications tax will allow an
8.5-per-cent increase in tax receipts//". He went on to say: "//Monetary
policy will be conducted in a cautious manner in order to allow the monetary
authorities to preserve stability in the exchange rate.//"

Amnesty

Aristide then announced amnesty and commutation of sentences for 78 convicted
people in several geographic departments of the country in accordance with
Articles 136 and 146 of the constitution and the law of 26 July 1906. He then
asked the audience to applaud all those who had contributed to the
alleviation of the sentences of these convicted people, because "the
sufferings of some are also the sufferings of others" and the "problems of
some must always be the problems of all of us and all of us must always unite
to walk hand in hand with all those who are suffering, because we are a great
people...".

Projects

He went on to announce 14 projects which will be finished in the Artibonite
region by 1 January 2004. He said: "The continuing projects will continue.
When the embargo is lifted we shall have more money for the execution of more
projects here in the Artibonite region and throughout the entire country by
2004." The projects in the Artibonite region include land reform, the
construction of the road between Saint-Marc and Gonaives, the construction of
Gonaives Airport and the construction of a public high school which will be
called "Lycee du Bicentenaire des Gonaives" and electricity 24 hours a day.

President Aristide finished his 50-minute speech by saying: "//The earth
moves in intergalactic space at 600 km per second, but it revolves around the
sun at 30 km per second. On 1 January, may the planet earth revolve around
the sun of freedom at a proportional speed. All stars are not suns but all
suns are stars. May all our stars of freedom be lit to guide us during this
new year until all of us return here to Gonaives on 1 January 2004 for the
celebration of the bicentenary of our independence! Thank you.//" [Applause]

Source: Radio Nationale, Port-au-Prince, in Creole 1700 gmt 1 Jan 03

/© BBC Monitoring