15271: Nadal: U.S.Notes Haiti's Failure to Foster Secure Environment for Elections (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Olivier Nadal <o_nadal@bellsouth.net>


U.S. Notes Haiti's Failure to Foster Secure Environment for Elections
4 avril 2003


(Concern over National Police leadership, lack of electoral council) (1150)

Compliance with Organization of American States (OAS) resolution 822,
including the establishment of an environment conducive to free and fair
elections, is the way to resolve Haiti's political impasse, says U.S. Deputy
Permanent Representative to the OAS Peter DeShazo. However, he added, the
Haitian government's choice of leadership for the Haitian National Police
(HNP) has undermined confidence in its commitment to creating the necessary
climate of security.

Among its provisions, OAS Resolution 822 calls on the government of Haiti to
restore a climate of security, conduct an inquiry into all political
violence, and prosecute those individuals responsible for December 17, 2001,
violence at the National Palace and subsequent violence. It also reaffirms
the importance of free, fair and technically feasible elections in 2003 and
establishes a timeline for establishing a Provisional Electoral Council
(CEP).

In an April 3 statement, DeShazo said that a high-level delegation of OAS
and Caribbean leaders made very clear during their March 19-20 visit to
Haiti that "Resolution 822 is the way to resolve the political crisis
without further delay." He noted that the delegation urged the government to
take concrete steps to comply with the resolution, and he also encouraged
civil society and opposition leaders to participate in the formation of a
CEP if the government takes the recommended steps.

DeShazo said that the Haitian government, unfortunately, has failed to
demonstrate that a climate for free and fair elections is being created.
Instead, the government's choice of leadership for the HNP "has done exactly
the opposite : it has undermined confidence in the government's commitment
to create a climate of security," he said.

The failure to form a neutral, credible and independent CEP by March 30, he
added, makes it unlikely that free and fair elections will be held in Haiti
in 2003.

DeShazo indicated that the United States and the other members of the OAS
Permanent Council want to help the people of Haiti and remain committed to
developing civil society and democracy there. However, in light of the
Haitian government's inaction in complying with Resolution 822, he said the
OAS must now consider if its Special Mission for Strengthening Democracy in
Haiti "has any viable role to play."

Following is the text of DeShazo's statement :


Statement by Ambassador Peter DeShazo On Report of Secretary General to
Permanent Council Following the Visit of the OAS-CARICOM High Level
Delegation to Haiti

April 3, 2003

The United States thanks the Assistant Secretary General for the report of
the OAS Special Mission for Strengthening Democracy. We will study it in
depth and comment further on it at a later date.

The United States also wishes to thank the Assistant Secretary General and
our colleagues from CARICOM, in particular, for their united efforts in
support of advancing democracy in Haiti, CARICOM's newest member state.

The United States fully supports the Inter-American Democratic Charter and
Resolution 822, which was inspired by the spirit and letter of the Charter.
Resolution 822 constituted a clear, unprecedented formula for solving the
political crisis in Haiti.

The high-level OAS/CARICOM delegation made a sincere, good faith effort to
break the impasse in Haiti. The message was very clear : Resolution 822 is
the way to resolve the political crisis without further delay. The
delegation urged the Government of Haiti to take certain concrete steps to
fulfill the commitments it undertook in Resolution 822. Such steps are
critical to advancing and strengthening the fragile democracy of the
hemisphere's second oldest republic. The message also was balanced : The
delegation urged civil society and the opposition to participate in
formation of a CEP if the Government took those steps to improve the
security climate. The visit of this delegation and the plan of action it
presented constituted a great opportunity to move forward in establishing an
environment of trust and security that is necessary for elections to take
place and for Haiti's longstanding political crisis to be resolved.

Having listened to the report of the Assistant Secretary General on the
Special Mission, and to reports from our colleagues in Port-au-Prince, the
United States is deeply concerned by the lack of serious action by the
Government of Haiti in response to several key points which were raised by
the OAS/CARICOM high level delegation. We are particularly disturbed by the
Government's choice of leadership, interim or otherwise, in the Haitian
National Police. It is clear to everyone in Haiti -- whether in government,
the opposition, civil society, or ordinary citizens -- that a climate of
security must be restored, not just for political activity or elections, but
for the economic stability and development so desperately needed by the
Haitian people. As the Report of the OAS Special Mission states : "the
overriding issue was for the Government to take concrete actions designed to
demonstrate to Haitians, and the international community, that a climate
conducive to the holding of free and fair elections was being created and
would be strengthened satisfactorily over the period of the electoral
campaign."

Unfortunately, the choice of leadership for the HNP has done exactly the
opposite : it has undermined confidence in the Government's commitment to
create a climate of security. Moreover, this appointment does not bode well
for future collaboration with the international community, which stood ready
to provide training and international police advisors.

We deeply regret this lost opportunity, which will have profound
implications for Haiti's future.

As we analyze the report by the Special Mission and as we assess the actions
of the Government of Haiti, we intend to consult closely and on an urgent
basis with other member and observer states and members of the High Level
delegation to Haiti. However, it already is clear that the failure to form a
neutral, credible and independent CEP by March 30 means that it is highly
unlikely that free and fair elections can be held in Haiti in 2003.
Moreover, we now must consider, in light of recent inaction by the
Government of Haiti, whether the OAS special mission has any viable role to
play. At a minimum, we must review the Mission's mandates.

The United States, along with other members of the Permanent Council, wants
to help the people of Haiti, who have suffered so much over the years. We
remain committed to providing bilateral humanitarian assistance to the
Haitian people. Similarly, we remain firmly committed to developing civil
society and democracy at the grassroots level in Haiti.

In closing, the United States once again wishes to thank the Assistant
Secretary General, and the Foreign Minister of St. Lucia, for their efforts
to apply Resolution 822. The United States looks forward to a dialogue with
our colleagues on the Permanent Council as we contemplate the next steps in
advancing democratic development in and helping the people Haiti.

(end text)