18210: (Hermantin) Miami-Herald-Aristide agrees to steps to ease crisis (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: leonie hermantin <lhermantin@hotmail.com>

Posted on Sun, Feb. 01, 2004

CARIBBEAN
Aristide agrees to steps to ease crisis
The Haitian leader, at a meeting with Caribbean leaders, agrees to measures
including a larger role for opponents and the repeal of curbs on protest.
BY JACQUELINE CHARLES
jcharles@herald.com

KINGSTON, Jamaica - Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide agreed Saturday
to give opponents, demanding his resignation, a role in his government and
to immediately rescind a controversial decree restricting where they can
demonstrate to help end the country's political crisis.

The commitments were part of a series of ''confidence-building measures''
Aristide agreed to carry out within four to six weeks to help ease
escalating political unrest and clear the way for elections. His progress
will be monitored by the Organization of American States and leaders from
the 15-member regional bloc, CARICOM. He is expected to give a progress
report by early March.

Aristide also accepted proposals to begin disarming armed gangs; to publicly
destroy illegal weapons; to work with the OAS and others in formulating
clear rules for demonstrations; to release within the week all people who
are arbitrarily being detained in Haiti; and to process demonstrators who
have been arrested in no more than 48 hours.

This is not the first time the Haitian president has given his word to the
international community. But following marathon talks here, led by Jamaican
prime minister and CARICOM Chairman P.J. Patterson, Aristide said he intends
to keep his promise.

''This is for the benefit of our country and we must move this way,''
Aristide said about implementing the measures, which require him to replace
Haiti's prime minister with someone more neutral and favorable to both
sides.

''We are trying to do our best to have Haiti have a new future, from moving
from one elected president to another one,'' he said. ``If we have that
peaceful way to move through an electoral process, implementing those
measures and having the opposition and Lavalas fulfilling their commitment,
of course we all would benefit. This is what I would call a win-win
situation for all of us.''

At least one member of the opposition was skeptical. In Haiti on Saturday
night, Andy Apaid, a leading figure of opposition Group 184, said he would
have to see the full text of any commitment from Aristide before he would
comment. But Apaid expressed wariness about Aristide's ability to stick to
agreements. He cited attacks on constitutional rights to peaceful protests.

''We need to be able to march without fear,'' Apaid said.

The agreements were reached late Saturday after a day of talks first between
Aristide and the leaders of the Bahamas, St. Lucia, Jamaica and Trinidad and
Tobago. They later joined a larger group, which totaled about 50 people
including the head of Aristide's Lavalas Family Party, Jonas Petit, and
observers from the United States, Canada, the European Union and the OAS.

Aristide, who was accompanied by two members of his private cabinet and four
government ministers, said their discussions focused on the need for both
sides to find a compromise and move ahead. He called on his opponents to
help him break the 3-year-old political impasse that has in recent months
led to a string of violent street demonstrations and deaths.

''Now is the time for compromise,'' he said.

A CARICOM delegation will travel to Haiti this week to meet with opposition
leaders.

Aristide has agreed to make public the findings of several ongoing
inquiries, including those into the Dec. 5 attack at the State University of
Haiti by pro-Aristide militants and the destruction of radio transmission
tower equipment earlier this month.

''We hope as a result of the confidence-building measures and the
establishment of a conducive security climate, the opposition will be
encouraged to participate,'' Patterson said.

_________________________________________________________________
Learn how to choose, serve, and enjoy wine at Wine @ MSN.
http://wine.msn.com/