20205: Blanchet: Fw: [Daily-briefing] Daily Press Briefing (March 10, 2004) (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Max Blanchet <MaxBlanchet@worldnet.att.net>


>
>
>                          Daily Press Briefing
>                           Statements made by
>              the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson
>
>                         (Paris, March 10, 2004)
>      [Please note that only the original French text issued by the
>      French Ministry of Foreign Affairs may be considered official.
>                   ( http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr )]
>
> HAITI
> =====
>
> France notes with satisfaction the Council of Sages' proposal to appoint
> Mr. Gérard Latortue prime minister, and the approval of his nomination by
> interim president Boniface Alexandre. This decision, which we welcome,
> comes in the context of a dialogue of reconciliation and opens to way to
> the formation of a transitional national unity government that should
> represent all components of the Haitian political class and whose task
> will be to prepare for the next elections.  It is indeed up to the
> Haitians to decide their own future. France will fully support the efforts
> of President Alexandre and the new prime minister as they strive for
> national reconciliation and the restoration of the rule of law.
>
> Q - Former president Aristide let it be known through his attorney that he
> would file suit against France for "complicity in an abduction." Do you
> have any reaction?
>
> No.
>
> Q - The lawsuit that Jean-Bertrand Aristide plans to file in France names
> the current ambassador and his predecessor, but also the writer Régis
> Debray and the sister of the foreign minister. Did these last two people
> visit Haiti to ask Mr. Aristide to resign, as the attorney of the exiled
> president is asserting?
>
> I think you are referring to the mission that the minister assigned last
> year to the independent committee on French-Haitian relations chaired by
> Mr. Debray. As you know, the committee flew to Haiti twice during the fall
> of 2003. Several professionally qualified figures were invited to sit on
> this independent committee. It reached a set of conclusions that were
> published on January 28. I can announce to you that, to follow up on that
> work, the minister has asked Mr. Debray to go to Haiti tomorrow for a new
> fact-finding mission.
>
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