22109: Esser: Lavalas supports the decision regarding representation on the new CEP (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: D. Esser torx@joimail.com

Agence Haïtienne de Presse AHP

May 26, 2004

Lavalas supports the decision by the directorate of the party not to
be represented on the new CEP


Port-au-Prince, May 26, 2004 (AHP)-  Fanmi Lavalas activists declared
their support Wednesday for the party directorate's decision not to
be represented on the new Provisional Electoral Council (CEP).

Fanmi Lavalas can not take part in the CEP,  most of whose members
come from organizations belonging to the Platform of the
ex-opposition, said the activists.

In addition to the representative of the judicial branch, who, they
say, is completely in the pocket of the ex-opposition, they mentioned
the representatives from the Democratic Convergence, Rosemond Pradel
and the human rights sector's Freud Jean, who are respectively
officials of CONACOM and OPL.

According to Ti Roro, the various institutions of civil society who
have designated representatives to the CEP all belong to the Group of
184, thus to the political Platform of the former opposition.

He said that any possible representative of Fanmi Lavalas would only
be there to approve the actions of the other eight members.

According to the Lavalas activists, "Most of the organizations
represented on the new electoral body have a reputation of being
hostile toward the disadvantaged masses, who are the majority in the
country, and do not miss an opportunity to attach to them the
pejorative nickname of "chimères". 

They said that the latest statements of a leader of the interim
government, Bernard Gousse, are symptomatic of this hostility.

The provisional minister of justice accused those he labeled
"chimères" of being responsible for the new acts of insecurity.

Like the members of the directorate of Fanmi Lavalas, the Lavalas
activists said that the interim authorities must put an end to the
persecutions and arbitrary arrests targeting the supporters of the
party of Jean-Bertrand Aristide before they will take part in the
electoral process.

According to them, the political violence has only one single
objective, and that is to exclude Fanmi Lavalas from the political
leadership of the country.
.