18860: (Chamberlain) Haitians in U.S. nostalgic for Duvalier era - poll (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Greg Chamberlain <GregChamberlain@compuserve.com>

     By Jane Sutton

    MIAMI, Feb 19 (Reuters) - Four times as many Haitians in the United
States think their revolt-torn homeland was better off during the brutal
Duvalier era than under current President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, poll
results showed on Thursday.
     Nonetheless, a majority of respondents said Aristide should serve
until his term expires in 2006, even as a violent rebellion has plunged the
country into chaos.
     Francois "Papa Doc" Duvalier and his son Jean Claude "Baby Doc"
Duvalier ruled Haiti with an iron grip for 29 years until 1986, using the
army and a private militia known as the Tontons Macoutes to suppress
dissent through torture and murder.
     The poll of 600 Haitians in the United States was conducted Feb.
12-17, the week after an armed revolt erupted against Aristide. It was
conducted for New California Media, an association of ethnic media outlets,
by Miami pollster Sergio Bendixen and had an error margin of 4 percentage
points.
     Fifty-six percent of those surveyed said Haiti's economic and
political situation was better under the Duvaliers, while only 14 percent
said times are better under Aristide. Another 30 percent did not answer.
     The results reflected nostalgia tinged by the current chaos in Haiti,
where up to 50 people have been killed, Bendixen said.
     "It is a matter of people looking back at the Duvalier years maybe
through rose-colored glasses," Bendixen said. "It was a long time ago and
they probably associate it with a more stable time."
     Aristide, Haiti's first democratically elected president, has faced
mounting accusations of corruption and political violence since winning
re-election in 2000.
     Forty-six percent of those surveyed rated Aristide's job performance
as poor or mediocre, while 23 percent gave him a good or excellent rating.
But more than half, 52 percent, said Aristide should finish out his term
and only 35 percent said he should resign.
     Aristide's support was based on feelings that he was elected by an
overwhelming majority of Haitians and his resignation would weaken
democracy, while detractors said he did not respect Haitians' human rights.
     But the respondents were skeptical of those trying to oust him -- 55
percent said they thought opposition movements were fighting for power,
while 22 percent said opponents were seeking democracy.
     The respondents, nearly all born in Haiti and in the 18-65 age group,
live in the U.S. Northeast and in Florida, regions where most of the
600,000 Haitian emigres in the United States are concentrated.
     Bendixen said Haitians in the United States maintained strong ties to
Haiti.