22012: Esser: OAS postpones special session on Haiti (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: D. Esser torx@joimail.com

Jamaica Observer
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com

May 22, 2004


OAS postpones special session on Haiti
by RICKEY SINGH, Observer Caribbean Correspondent


BRIDGETOWN -The Permanent Council of the Organisation of American
States (OAS) has postponed a special session which was expected to
assess the state of constitutional governance in Haiti, yesterday.

The special session was requested by the Caribbean Community
(Caricom), which is seeking an independent probe into the
circumstances surrounding the sudden departure from office of
President Jean-Bertrand Aristide on February 29.

Informed ministerial and diplomatic sources told the Observer that
"diplomatic footwork" was taking place to frustrate the special
session, though there was no indication of Caricom abandoning its
initiative.

Antigua and Barbuda, which currently holds the chairmanship of the
15-member regional grouping, had sent the request to the OAS on May
13 for the special session on the Community's behalf.

It was submitted to Mexico's ambassador to the OAS, Luis Cabanas,
current chairman of the Permanent Council, following the recent
meeting in St John's, Antigua of the Caricom Bureau.

The request was made in keeping with Article 20 of the Inter-American
Democratic Charter for a general assessment of constitutional
governance and the democratic order in Haiti, which would include an
investigation into the circumstances of Aristide's departure from
office in the face of an armed rebellion.

Article 20 of the Charter states: "In the event of an
unconstitutional alteration of the constitutional regime that
seriously impairs the democratic order in a member state, any member
state or the OAS secretary-general may request the immediate
convocation of the Permanent Council to undertake a collective
assessment of the situation and to take such decisions as it deems
appropriate."

However, soon after the Caricom request, the United States ambassador
to the OAS, John Maisto, appealed for its withdrawal.

Ambassador Cabanas, nevertheless, went ahead and arranged for the
special session that was scheduled for yesterday.

But apparent 'diplomatic manoeuvrings' earlier this week resulted in
the postponement of the special session.

Sources said a 'consultative meeting' was instead planned between
Caricom and Latin American ambassadors, to get a "better
understanding on approaches to the Caricom request".

Ambassador Cabanas is, however, hoping that the special session could
still take place by late next week.

However, according to regional ministerial and diplomatic sources,
there were still "influences at work" to avoid the special session
taking place ahead of the 2004 OAS General Assembly, scheduled for
Quito, Ecuador from June 6-8.
.