22004: Esser: Dithering on Haiti (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: D. Esser torx@joimail.com

Jamaica Gleaner
http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com

May 21, 2004

Dithering on Haiti

ONCE AGAIN efforts by some regional governments to convene a meeting
to probe the ouster of Jean-Bertrand Aristide as president of Haiti
have been stymied. A meeting initially scheduled for today among
delegates to the Permanent Council of the Organisation of American
States (OAS), has been postponed because, according to the agency's
information officer, they were unable to agree on a mutually
convenient date.

In the context of the power play complained of in the past by CARICOM
governments when they sought a similar probe at the United Nations
and were blocked by the United States and France, it is not
far-fetched to believe super-power politics is at work again.

US Congresswoman Maxine Waters, strong ally of Mr. Aristide, claimed
in March that the US was using its power and influence to manipulate
the OAS into not examining the Aristide ouster. The passage of time
and the subsequent dithering lend credence to her charge.

In the meantime, the question remains: what will CARICOM's next move
be? If the regional governments recognise and proceed to work with
the Latortue regime they would be backtracking on a stated position
of principle that democratically-elected governments should be
removed from office only by democratic means.

At a CARICOM emergency meeting in March, St. Kitts and Nevis Prime
Minister Denzil Douglas told journalists that "As a result of not
subscribing to the way by which there was a change in government in
Haiti, it is going to be extremely difficult for us to sit in any of
the Councils of the Caribbean Community with the interim government
that has been put in place in Haiti." Since then Bush administration
representatives have been trying to coerce CARICOM governments to
change their position.

We note that the United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution
(1529) in February calling on member states "to support the
constitutional succession and political process now under way in
Haiti and the promotion of a peaceful and lasting solution to the
current crisis". The Security Council also authorised the immediate
deployment of a Multinational Interim Force for a period of not more
than three months from adoption of the resolution. That three-month
period expires at the end of this month. Resolution 1529 also called
on the international community to assist in the development of a
strategy to promote social and economic development and combat
poverty.

CARICOM governments, we believe, are committed to these principles
and we urge them, including our own led by P.J. Patterson, to work in
as practical a way possible to help our neighbours settle into a
stable democracy.

In fact the regional leaders have agreed to leave discussions about
recognising the new regime for their Grenada summit in July. They
have also agreed to send a peacekeeping force to Haiti when the UN
takes over that role from the Americans and the French next month.

That practical step is a welcome move by CARICOM, unlike the
dithering over an enquiry, which still seems a remote objective.
.