21216: (Hermantin) Miami-Herald-Rekindled hope for a new beginning for Haiti (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: leonie hermantin <lhermantin@hotmail.com>

Posted on Thu, Apr. 08, 2004



Rekindled hope for a new beginning for Haiti

OUR OPINION: EARLY, SIGNIFICANT U.S. ROLE IS THE KEY TO SUCCESS


With resigned President Jean-Bertrand Aristide comfortably out of the way,
the United States has renewed its commitment to help rebuild Haiti. That was
the reason for Secretary of State Colin Powell's well-timed visit to Haiti
this week. Mr. Powell delivered the right message and pushed for the right
policies for Haiti's recovery.

Security a priority

The United States now must move quickly to create an environment from which
a foundation for a viable democratic government can be erected. First and
foremost, there must be security and a well-defined plan for constitutional
governance, including for elections and a date for the end of interim Prime
Minister Gerard Latortue's rule.

Unlike any other country in the hemisphere, Haiti is almost completely a
failed state. It has no elected leadership, no standing army, a shattered
police force, broken infrastructure, few resources and a restive population
desperate for jobs, stability and decent governance. Mr. Aristide and his
supporters left nothing behind and even emptied the vaults of the Central
Bank, according to Mr. Latortue.

As with Iraq, rebirth can occur only in a secure environment. This is why it
is crucial that Mr. Latortue act quickly to arrest known criminals and
disarm gangs and individuals, regardless of whether they supported Mr.
Aristide or the opposition parties. In rounding up miscreants, Mr. Latortue
must make sure that he is not seen to favor one faction over the other.

Equally urgent is the need to set an early date for elections. Thus far, Mr.
Latortue has only said elections will be held in 2005 and that he will
establish a Provisional Electoral Council to work out the details. The
sooner a specific plan is in place, the better.

Mr. Powell said that the Bush administration would release $9 million for
''strengthening democracy'' in Haiti, including help for the elections. He
also pledged $55 million for ''economic and humanitarian assistance'' this
year. He rightly stressed the importance of fighting corruption, restarting
the economy, creating jobs and disarming the thugs and criminals on the
streets. And, importantly, he offered to provide Mr. Latortue with U.S.
advisors to assist in the transition.

Sending a message

With this high-profile involvement, the Bush administration sends the
message to our international partners that the United States is serious
about rebuilding Haiti. The U.S. role is to prime the pump during this
interim period in preparation for a transfer of authority to U.N.
peacekeeping forces and our international partners. With a good start,
stability and democracy are possible in Haiti.

_________________________________________________________________
Limited-time offer: Fast, reliable MSN 9 Dial-up Internet access FREE for 2
months!
http://join.msn.com/?page=dept/dialup&pgmarket=en-us&ST=1/go/onm00200361ave/direct/01/