18612: (Hermantin)Miami-Herald-Regional leaders press for Aristide reforms (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: leonie hermantin <lhermantin@hotmail.com>

Posted on Sat, Feb. 14, 2004

HAITI


Regional leaders press for Aristide reforms

Secretary of State Colin Powell and Canadian and Caribbean Community
officials urge Haiti's Jean-Bertrand Aristide to make changes for peace.

BY JACQUELINE CHARLES

jcharles@herald.com


The United States has called on Haiti's president to keep his word and begin
acting on recommendations aimed at rebuilding his credibility with opponents
and breaking a 3-year-old political impasse that has led to violent
uprisings.

U.S. Secretary Colin Powell issued the call Friday to President
Jean-Bertrand Aristide after meeting with leaders from the 15-member
Caribbean Community, or Caricom, who briefed him on their efforts to end the
political stalemate and on Aristide's agreement several weeks ago to seek a
political solution.

Powell and CARICOM and other international leaders also reaffirmed their
opposition to any attempts by antigovernment opponents in Haiti to overthrow
Aristide.

Both Aristide's political opponents and armed antigoverment rebels, who
recently seized several northern towns in Haiti, are demanding the
president's resignation before his terms ends in 2006.

`UNITED VOICE'

''The sides who are responsible for the violence in Haiti can take no
comfort in thinking there has been a crack in the position of the United
States, Canada, CARICOM or the Organization of American States,'' Bahamian
Foreign Minister Fred Mitchell said in a telephone interview Friday night.
``It is clear everyone is speaking with a united voice on this issue.''

During Friday's talks, both the United States and Canada reiterated their
support for the CARICOM-led initiative to bring Aristide and his political
opponents to a compromise. The two countries also agreed to provide more
resources to strengthen an OAS special mission that has been in Haiti for
the last two years, monitoring the situation in hopes of providing technical
assistance and recommendations on ending the impasse.

''We, of course, are very concerned about Haiti. We all have a commitment to
the democratic process in Haiti,'' said Powell, who was joined at a press
conference by OAS Secretary General César Gaviria, and Foreign Ministers
Bill Graham of Canada, K.D. Knight of Jamaica, Julian Hunte of St. Lucia and
Mitchell of the Bahamas.

But for democracy to be safeguarded in Haiti, all parties must honor their
obligations, Mitchell said. During a meeting with CARICOM leaders in Jamaica
in recent weeks, Aristide agreed to implement several ''confidence
building'' measures including disarming political gangs, reforming the
country's police force and instituting new rules for demonstrations. He also
agreed to put in a new governing council with representatives from the
opposition and civil society.

OPPOSITION'S DUTY

The opposition, meanwhile, has to honor its obligations of participating in
the formation of those new rules, which are to be written with OAS help.

''We call specifically on the political opposition and civil society to act
responsibly, refrain from violence and fulfill their responsibilities and
engage in the democratic process in accordance with the CARICOM proposal,''
the leaders said in a statement. ``As the government of Haiti moves forward
on these measures, the international community will undertake renewed
efforts to restore the rule of law, including professionalization of the
Haitian National Police.''

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