22646: (Hermantin)Miami-Herald-Neighbors reconsider stance on Haiti (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: leonie hermantin <lhermantin@hotmail.com>

Posted on Wed, Jul. 07, 2004




CARIBBEAN COMMUNITY


Neighbors reconsider stance on Haiti

BY MICHAEL A.W. OTTEY

mottey@herald.com


ST. GEORGE'S, Grenada -- Caribbean nations on Tuesday were inching toward an
agreement to upgrade relations with Haiti's beleaguered interim government,
a move that would break a nearly six-month impasse between the
crisis-gripped nation and its neighbors.

It was unclear late Tuesday what conditions the 15-member regional bloc
would demand from Haiti in exchange for its support. The official
announcement was expected today.

Leaders of the Caribbean Community, commonly refered to as CARICOM, refused
to recognize the interim Haitian government backed by the United States
following the ouster of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide on Feb. 29.
Aristide's departure angered CARICOM leaders who had hoped to find a
peaceful solution to Haiti's worsening political crisis.

Grenada Prime Minister Keith Mitchell said the regional body did not wish to
send a message that regime change by the barrel of the gun is the way to go.
After armed rebels encircled the capital, Aristide left Haiti -- accusing
the United States of orchestrating his ouster, a charge Washington denies.

''But we also feel very strongly that our Haitian brothers and sisters do
require the support of the CARICOM region and that many members of the
international community . . . have in fact been engaged in Haiti,'' Mitchell
said at a press conference during the group's annual summit.

Other leaders agreed that CARICOM did not wish to be left out of lending a
hand to Haiti.

Mitchell said the decision will be formally announced after the prime
minister of St. Lucia, who had to leave the meeting early, is informed.

Since Aristide's ouster, CARICOM nations have treated the government of
Prime Minister Gerard Latortue as a pariah, refusing to allow the new
Haitian government to assume its seat at CARICOM meetings. Relations further
deteriorated after Jamaica, a leading member of CARICOM, invited Aristide to
Jamaica after his ouster.

CARICOM heads of government met for several hours on Calivigny Island, a
private island on Grenada's southern coast, to determine what to do about
Haiti.

They emerged with the consensus that it was time to lay differences aside
and engage in formal talks with Haiti's government.

Caribbean officials who took part in the discussions told The Herald that
the regional organization would reach out to Latortue as long as the Haitian
leader met certain conditions, such as promptly holding elections.

One head of state said CARICOM will work to reduce differences it now has
with Latortue's government. ''There is a move to engage with Haiti,'' said
the official.

It was unclear late Tuesday whether Haiti will regain its full rights as a
CARICOM member.

Herald staff writer Andres Oppenheimer contributed to this report.

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