18905: Blanchet: Fw: TransAfrica statement on Haiti (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Max Blanchet <MaxBlanchet@worldnet.att.net>
>
> STATEMENT ON HAITI
> TransAfrica Forum
> February 17, 2004
>
> http://www.transafricaforum.org/newslettercurrent.html
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> In recent weeks, the Haitian crisis has been deepening.  In addition to
mass
> protests against President Aristide, demanding his resignation, there have
> been military assaults in several cities and what appears to be a move
toward
> insurrection.  The alleged rebels have been described in different ways,
but they
> appear to be the armed wing of at least a section of the opposition.  It
is
> in light of this worsening situation that we feel compelled to speak out
> clearly and broadly.
>
> Our starting point is and has been that the people of Haiti should
determine
> their own destiny.   For nearly 200 years, the United States government
has
> taken a different approach.  After the success of the Haitian Revolution,
the
> United States imposed a policy of isolation on the island.  This policy
was not
> only about restricting the ability of the Haitian people to truly exercise
> self-determination.  The policy was also about neutralizing the influence
of the
> Haitian Revolution, particularly with regard to African slaves in the USA
and
> the rest of the Caribbean.  Since 1804 the USA has done what it could to
> undermine efforts at genuine independence, including through military
> interventions, threats, and the support of corrupt puppet regimes.   When
Haiti has
> attempted to stand, its legs have been cut from under it by its arrogant
northern
> neighbor.
>
> President Aristide was duly elected by the Haitian people. In fact, he was
> elected twice.  In the most recent election there is no credible source
that
> questions the legitimacy of the election.  There is no credible allegation
that
> the election was stolen or that methods of intimidation were utilized.  In
> fact, the cries about electoral irregularities have focused almost
entirely on
> several parliamentary seats, the results of which, even if overturned,
would not
> have changed the balance of power in government.
>
> Therefore, we at TransAfrica Forum hold that a duly elected leader,
> irrespective of one's opinion, should be permitted to peacefully complete
his or her
> term of office unless one has violated the constitution.  In the case of
an
> alleged constitutional violation, in keeping with democratic and legal
practices,
> formal procedures should be pursued with regard to removing any elected
leader
> from office.  This does not mean that protests have no place.  Protests,
> however, are not the same as constitutional procedures for challenging an
elected
> leader and removing him or her from office.  We believe that President
> Aristide should complete his term.  At that juncture any of the opposition
forces can
> choose to run its own candidates for office and articulate their own
vision
> of the future.
>
> We believe that there are legitimate criticisms of President Aristide.
There
> have been criticisms of the penetration of his political party-Famli
> Lavalas-by opportunist elements from the old regime who have utilized
political power
> in order to run roughshod over the rights of the people.  We have been
> perplexed and disheartened by the apparent inability of President Aristide
to
> identify and exclude such elements from his party, particularly given the
damage that
> they cost him.  While such elements are no where near in the majority of
the
> party, their impact has been noted.
>
> There have been additional criticisms of human rights abuses allegedly
> carried out by the government and/or its allies, as well as the failure of
the
> government to fully investigate such abuses.  Some Haitian trade
unionists, for
> example, have faced repression from the government, a development that
does not
> match the verbal commitment of President Aristide to champion the rights
of the
> dispossessed.  Such actions have apparently resulted in the alienation of
> many former allies of the President.
>
> These are all serious concerns, but as the former President of TransAfrica
> Forum, Randall Robinson, has noted, the forced resignation of President
Aristide
> will do nothing to advance democracy.  It is more than clear that the
> opposition is extremely diverse, held together by little more than their
demand for
> President Aristide's removal.  What, then, comes next?  What will be the
> program for Haiti should President Aristide be forced from office?  Given
the
> association of the so-called rebels with the old regime, are we not on a
slippery
> slope toward a Duvalier-ist future if President Aristide is driven from
office?
> In fact, given the strong support that President Aristide continues to
enjoy
> in much of Haiti, is not the scenario of civil war more likely than civil
> peace if President Aristide is compelled to step down due to extra-legal
(if not
> illegal) pressure?
>
> In this situation the Bush administration, predictably, is playing a less
> than honorable role.  The multi-year restriction on the release of badly
needed
> loans worsened the internal situation in the Western Hemisphere's poorest
> country.  Now the Bush administration is implying that it is time for
President
> Aristide to leave, while at the same time having Secretary of State Powell
state
> that a coup would not be acceptable.  One gets the feeling of a good
cop/bad
> cop scenario.  None of this should come as a surprise to us in light of
world
> events as well as the policy and practice of hostility by this
administration
> toward President Aristide since the beginning.
>
> Haitians must solve the political crisis.  It appears that at least some
> elements of the Haitian opposition are less interested in resolving the
crisis
> than in bringing the country to the brink of disaster.  Despite repeated
> concessions by President Aristide, elements of the opposition continue to
raise the
> bar, making a peaceful, Haitian-centered and driven resolution of the
crisis
> difficult, if not impossible.
>
> Outside forces should not be interfering.  There have been quite credible
> allegations that the Bush administration is far too involved in supporting
the
> opposition.  Statements by its spokespersons lend such allegations
credibility
> when inferences can be drawn to the effect that the Bush administration
wishes
> President Aristide's departure.
>
> Along with many other friends of Haiti our position is that the Bush
> administration should not consider intervening in Haiti.  No US troops
should go to
> Haiti.  The US should, however, provide material assistance in order to
improve
> the basic living conditions of the Haitian people.  If Secretary of State
> Powell's words from February 13th are to be received as credible, then the
US can
> assist mutually acceptable third party mediators help to bring the
government
> and the opposition to a peaceful resolution of the political crisis.
>
> The Bush administration should restrain itself from its imperial arrogance
> that has so alienated countries around the world.  Their contempt for the
United
> Nations in the dash to war with Iraq; their support of the coup in
Venezuela
> in April 2002, and the continuing hostility toward President Chavez; the
> pressure on nations of the world to exempt the US from the International
Criminal
> Court, now joined by their contemptuous attitude toward President Aristide
must
> be halted.  It is time for the people of the USA to make this point clear
> even if the administration continues to walk around with wax in its
collective
> ears, with eyes closed, and ranting about its version of the world as
defined by
> Bush.
>
> ______________________________________________
>
>
> This email is forwarded as a service of the Haiti Support Group.
>
> See the Haiti Support Group web site:
> www.haitisupport.gn.apc.org
>
> Solidarity with the Haitian people's struggle for justice, participatory
> democracy and equitable development, since 1992.
> ____________________________________________