18293: Arthur: Re: 18265: Return of the FADH (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Tttnhm@aol.com

In a message dated 2/6/2004 1:01:16 AM W. Europe Standard Time, Greg
Chamberlain writes:

<< One of the most troubling aspects of the opposition is the suggestion from
some elements of it that the army (effectively but not yet formally,
constitutionally, legally abolished) be reinstated. Can anyone cite
 evidence (not rumours) of a stand on this issue by the 184 Group?   Gérard
 Gourgue, the elderly lawyer briefly set up as the opposition's paper-tiger
 "parallel president" in 2001, called for such a revival (to the
 embarassment of many opposition components), but what public declarations
 have there been on this point since then?  And let's not have pro-army
 stands by loony Duvalierist or other micro-fractions of the opposition
 represented as the opinion of the whole opposition. >>

Charles Arthur writes:

Good idea, but why limit it to the Group of 184 when we are now dealing with
the Democratic Platform? I'll start the ball rolling with this extract from a
Reuters report, dated August 17 2001, in which we hear the opinion of
opposition leader, Himmler Rebu:

(extract begins....)
"In all countries, the military has a role -- ensuring stability in the
country,'' said Himmler Rebu, former commander of a special unit that tried in 1989
to overthrow President Prosper Avril, who had himself grabbed power in a coup
and was charged in June with the torture and false arrest of opposition
members in 1989 and 1990. "Haiti needs a military. The real security of the country
is the army,'' Rebu said in a recent interview with Reuters at the children's
sports camp he runs.... (extract ends)


While we are at it, what are the Democratic Platform's proposals for the
economy? We hear a lot of criticism of the current government's handling of the
economy from the opposition, yet the World Bank, IMF and IDB are very pleased
with what has been done - does this mean the Democratic Platform is an
anti-neo-liberal outfit? I think the people of Haiti should be told.