17154: (Hermantin)Miami-Herald-U.S. envoy: Better election security needed (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: leonie hermantin <lhermantin@hotmail.com>

Posted on Thu, Nov. 06, 2003

HAITI
U.S. envoy: Better election security needed

PORT-AU-PRINCE -- (AP) -- Haiti's government must do more to ensure security
ahead of legislative elections planned for the end of this month, the U.S.
ambassador said Wednesday.

Newly appointed Ambassador James Foley said ''the government has not assumed
its responsibilities'' in preparing for the tentatively scheduled
parliamentary elections.

''Security has much deteriorated in recent weeks,'' Foley said, speaking at
his first news conference since assuming his post in September. ``In current
conditions, it's not easy to convince people to vote.''

More than a dozen people have been killed and scores wounded in six weeks of
antigovernment demonstrations calling on President Jean-Bertrand Aristide to
step down.

Last week, rock-throwing Aristide supporters dispersed two antigovernment
demonstrations in Port-au-Prince. One was organized by women's rights
activists to criticize violence against women, and another was called by an
opposition party to protest environmental degradation.

''It's hard to advocate an electoral solution when people can't demonstrate
peacefully,'' Foley said.

Government spokesman Mario Dupuy declined to comment on Foley's declaration
before studying it.

Haiti's government and opposition have been at odds since Aristide's Lavalas
Family Party swept legislative elections in May 2000 that the opposition
said were rigged.

Since then, Haiti has plunged deeper into poverty and unrest, with
opposition parties and other civic groups refusing to join an electoral
council until the government disarms its supporters, prosecutes those
accused of political violence and overhauls the police leadership.

The government insists it has done its utmost to comply with Organization of
American States resolutions calling for a secure environment ahead of
elections.

It has formed an electoral council despite the opposition's boycott and has
accused the opposition of stirring protests because it is afraid it will
lose at the polls.

Foley said the international community would not accept the results ``if the
government organizes unilateral elections.''


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