16005: Blanchet: Fw: Haiti police chief goes into exile (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Max Blanchet <MaxBlanchet@worldnet.att.net>


> Haiti police chief goes into exile
>
> By Stephen Gibb - BBC correspondent in Havana
>
> The new police chief of Haiti has abruptly resigned and gone into
> self-imposed exile.
>
> Jean-Robert Faveur, who took up the post just two weeks ago, said he was
> standing down because of government interference and threats to his life.
>
> He was briefly the great hope for reform of Haiti's police force, but just
> two weeks into the posting he has left the country.
>
> It is not clear where he has gone.
>
> In a resignation letter addressed to the Haitian President, Jean-Bertrand
> Aristide, he said he had chosen the path of exile rather than to become
corrupt
> and subservient.
>
> He accused the government of handing out appointments within the police
force
> without his consent and he added that he had been warned that his life was
> threatened.
>
> Like his predecessor who was in the post for just two and a half months,
Mr
> Faveur has apparently failed to clean up Haiti's police force - which has
been
> accused of human rights abuses and brutal repression of political dissent.
>
> Both the Organization of American States and opposition groups within
Haiti
> say that a non-corrupt professional police service is vital if the country
is
> to hold fair elections.
>
> Haiti's economic and political stability has deteriorated dramatically
since
> the last elections were held in the year 2000 which opposition groups say
were
> rigged by President Aristide.
>
> Mr Aristide says he is acting to bring in reform, but will not stand down.
>
> Story from BBC NEWS:
> http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/americas/3011878.stm
>
> Published: 2003/06/23 02:30:37 GMT
>
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>
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