22301: erzilidanto: Major Caricom OAS Challenge by Rickey Singh (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Erzilidanto@aol.com

June 4, 2004


Our Caribbean


Major Caricom OAS Challenge

by Rickey Singh


NEXT WEEK’S General Assembly of the Organisation of American States

(OAS) in Quito, Ecuador, will be quite challenging for the Caribbean

Community (CARICOM) and other member states of the hemispheric body

on the critical issue of constitutional governance and democracy.


How committed are the 34 countries of the OAS – where Cuba’s seat has

remained vacant for some 42 years – to the Inter-American Democratic

Charter will be put to the test as it relates to the political crisis

situation in Haiti.


That is, if the CARICOM bloc of states succeeds in getting on the

agenda a draft resolution to assess the political situation in Haiti

in the context of the Democratic Charter. Earlier efforts by CARICOM

– made somewhat more problematic by a surprising vacillation by two

of its members – have been frustrated by the expediency of language

and procedures.


Mark that down largely to the overt and covert pressures of the

United States, which remains adamantly opposed to any independent

assessment of how the presidency of Jean-Bertrand Aristide suddenly

terminated on February 29, as if the Washington administration really

has skeletons in its Haitian cupboard.


The broader concern is also to examine the existing political climate

and efforts by the Washington-created interim regime in

Port-au-Prince for a speedy return to constitutional governance based

on competitive and internationally supervised elections


It needs to be borne in mind that CARICOM’s concern for

constitutional governance in Haiti should not be viewed as defence of

the Aristide presidency, or any of the allegations pertaining to

financial corruption, assassinations and political thuggery.


CARICOM governments had made clear from the beginning of their call

for an independent probe into the circumstances of Aristide’s

departure from power, that Haiti remains a member of the community,

and that practical efforts would continue to be made to help secure

and provide relevant assistance to the Haitian people for whose

welfare they remain committed.


The fundamental difference relates to non-recognition of the interim

regime in Port-au-Prince and, by extension, its non-involvement in

the councils of CARICOM, until there could be some positive

arrangements for the modalities of a working relationship that

includes an assessment of the crucial issue of constitutional

governance.


It is rather instructive that the George Bush administration and the

interim Haitian regime of the loquacious Gerard Latortue – who has

been rather dismissive of CARICOM and anxious to embrace armed rebels

as “freedom fighters” – should be so intent in frustrating any effort

for an independent probe into the circumstances of Aristide’s

departure from power; even the modified approach to invoke Article 20

of the OAS Democratic Charter on interruption of constitutional

goverance.


Article 20 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.”


That is exactly what CARICOM has so far been frustrated in achieving

within the councils of the OAS Permanent Council. Hence, the effort

to extend the initiative to next week’s three-day General Assembly

that begins on Sunday in Quito.


There, not only all community partners must stand up and be counted –

in testing the letter and spirit of Article 20 of the Democratic

Charter. So too must those Latin American states that have expressed

their own concerns about the implications of a legitimate government

being interrupted by armed rebellion and lawlessness.
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Forwarded by the Haitian Lawyers Leadership
******
"Men anpil chaj pa lou"  is Kreyol for - "Many hands make light a heavy load."

See, The Haitian Leadership Networks'  7 "men anpil chaj pa

lou" campaigns to help restore Haiti's independence, the will of the mass
electorate and the rule of law. See,
http://www.margueritelaurent.com/pressclips/haitianlawyers.html ; http://www.margueritelaurent.com/campaigns/campaigns.html

and Haitiaction.net

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