18338: Esser: South Africa will stand by Haiti (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: D. E s s e r <torx@mail.joimail.com>

CAPE TOWN
SA will stand by Haiti - Dlamini-Zuma
Donwald Pressly
Posted Mon, 09 Feb 2004

Foreign Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma has pledged to stand by the
troubled Caribbean country of Haiti, which is celebrating its
bi-centenary this year, arguing that the country needs to be assisted
in its quest to establish a functioning democratic system.

With her government having come under fierce criticism from the
Democratic Alliance for buttressing what it seeks as an undemocratic
state, she defended South Africa's - and Africa's - concern for the
country which she described as the first independence state run by
Africans as far back as 1804.

Dlamini-Zuma said Haiti had defeated variously "the British, the
Spanish and the French" and had got their freedom. "It was the first
African republic to be freed by its own efforts," she said.

Nevertheless, recognising that the country was the poorest in the
Western hemisphere, she said for 40 years the country had struggled
"with no country (in the world) recognising them". She also referred
to them having "to pay a lot of money to buy their freedom", payments
which had been made "right up to the 1940s".

She acknowledged that Haiti never had been able to establish "a
proper democracy" and now there was the problem of opposition parties
not accepting the environment for an election while the government
was offering to have elections. "There is quite a polarisation
between government and opposition parties," she said.

President Thabo Mbeki attended the bicentenary celebrations earlier
this year and provided R10-million as a gift to the country.

Embattled President Jean-Bertrand Aristide - whose term ends in 2006
- has faced a rocky two years since his party swept legislative
elections in 2000.

The opposition is seeking his resignation.


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