22685: Fenton: Signal FM Radio, July 13 (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Anthony Fenton <apfenton@ualberta.ca>

Haiti: Highlights of Signal FM Radio news
13 July 2004
07:26 am
BBC Monitoring Americas
English
(c) 2004 The British Broadcasting Corporation [date of publication]. All
Rights Reserved. No material may be reproduced except with the express
permission of The British Broadcasting Corporation.

Figures in brackets indicate length of time of each item

1. Introduction, headlines, and ads. (10 min)

2. A three-hour meeting of the political parties, civil society, the Council
of
Eminent Persons, COEP [CS] and the government was held on Saturday
to discuss disarmament, the reinstatement of the demobilized military,
insecurity, and compensation for those whose property was looted
following the 29 February events. Several participants expressed
satisfaction with the meeting. Prime Minister Latortue, who participated in
this meeting, explained that these meetings would continue to be held on
a regular basis. He said that the government must stop working by itself
and added that he would like all sectors - political parties, civil society,
and so on - to participate in all government activities. We will work in small
committees on all of the country's major problems, he added. "In other
words, the government is not alone," he said. (3 min)

3. COEP member Anne-Marie Issa explains that Saturday's meeting
participants concluded that a follow-up committee would be formed with
all the concerned sectors. This committee will include one representative
of the Prime Minister's Office, one representative of the Presidency, five
representatives of political parties, three COEP representatives, and three
civil society representatives. The list of representatives is supposed to be
given to the Prime Minister's Office no later than Thursday, according to
Issa. (4 min)

4. Andre Michel, a Convention for Democratic Unity, KID, official who
participated in the meeting, says he defended two viewpoints: concrete
actions must be done to show that there is a divorce with the wrongdoing
of the past. The second viewpoint is that insecurity must be fought and a
stable climate established. He explains that even if the most powerful
powers come to Haiti they might fail in trying to disarm people if they do
not know who to disarm. (2 min)

5. National Reconstruction Movement, MRN, leader Jean-Enol Buteau
speaks of the meeting on Saturday. Technically, everything was fine, but
although all the points on the agenda were covered, some require further
discussion, he says. He says the government did not respect point No 20
of an agreement that was signed in April. Buteau expresses reservations
about the way the territorial collectivities are being appointed. (1 min)

6. Struggling People's Organization, OPL, leader Gerard Pierre-Charles,
who participated in the meeting on Saturday, expressed his satisfaction.
OPL wishes a good management of the country and pleads in favour of a
political resolution to the demobilized military issue. "What we can say is
that we in the political parties are very aware that society is in such a
situation that no progress is possible without the participation of the
political parties.... In other words, the meeting was a satisfactory
meeting...." He praises the formation of the follow-up committee that will
allow the issues discussed in these meetings to become concrete
realities. He points out that the prime minister said during the meeting
that after this week all communes will have an installed municipal
commission. Pierre-Charles speaks of disarmament and the necessity
for the government to take into account the legitimate demands of the
demobilized military. (4 min)

7. Attorney Levelt Dorcil, leader of Democratic Action To Build Haiti,
Adebah, hails the meeting that was held over the weekend at the Karibe
Convention Centre even though there were disagreements between his
party and other groups that attended the meeting. He explains that he
disagrees with the use of the term 'political agreement' to describe the
agreement that was reached between the government and some political
parties in April. He explains that his party was not part of this agreement.
He also explains legal reasons for which ADEBAH did not subscribe to
this agreement. If we go to elections without a national debate there might
be serious problems in the country, he points out. (3 min)

8. Ads. (2 min)

9. News regarding the arrival in Haiti tomorrow of a Caribbean
Community, Caricom, delegation to discuss conditions for Haiti's return to
the organization. Barbados Foreign Minister Billie Miller will head this
delegation. (1 min)

10. Prime Minister Latortue last week downplayed Caricom's position, but
expressed his willingness to hold talks with the Caricom delegation. He
explains that it is too early to comment about its arrival because so far the
government has heard this information only through the press. He adds
that he will receive the Caricom delegation in accordance with traditional
Haitian hospitality. The following is an excerpt from his statements: "I
never said that I rejected anything. The people are going to come. I do not
have to comment again. They are going to come during the week. Upon
their arrival, first of all, I will listen to them."(2 min)

11. Professor Hubert de Ronceray, leader of the Greater Centre Right
Front, GFCD, comments on the Caricom position. He says that the
CARICOM countries do not care about the country's welfare and that many
CARICOM officials do not know much about Haiti and have just heard
about it. He adds that they think that "they are more developed than we
are, that they have better roads, better schools, and so on." De Ronceray
points out that we have different experiences. He says in particular, "We
won our independence through blood and fire whereas their
independence was given to them." He adds that they are a little jealous as
"we have a history that they do not have, we have pride and values that
they do not have." De Ronceray says further that CARICOM should not
consider coming to defend criminals and outlaws in Haiti, pointing out
that these countries can do that on their own territories if they want but not
in Haiti. (3 min)

12. Attorney Francois Latortue, leader of Modelh-PRDH [Democratic
Revolutionary Party of Haiti, Parti Revolutionnaire Democratique d'Haiti,
PRDH - previously Democratic Movement for the Liberation of Haiti,
Mouvement Democratique de Liberation d'Haiti, Modelh] describes
Caricom's position as illogical. He adds that only terrorist groups ask
governments to interfere in judicial processes. "This is almost never
seen. Only terrorist groups do that," according to Latortue.

13. Professor Christian Rousseau of the COEP urges caution regarding
reaction to Caricom's stance on Haiti. "I would prefer to say that there is
an information problem. I have heard criticism against the foreign
minister. However, I believe that we do not have enough elements
because many people say that the minister took many trips. So, if he did
so under mandates given to him by the government, this means that it
was a priority for him to make these trips, according to the government. In
this case, I believe that we should wait for an assessment of his trips
before we express our opinions on this matter," he says. (2 min)

14. Ads. (6 min)

15. Judy C. Roy of the Patriotic Rally for National Revival, Reparen,
criticizes the fact that CARICOM thinks it has the right to interfere in
Haiti's
internal affairs. She asks the Latortue government to disregard the
CARICOM resolution if there is any. She says she does not understand
why CARICOM is demanding Neptune's release when he has problems
with the law. She does not understand either why CARICOM has set itself
as the spokesperson for the ousted government. (2 min)

16. Steven Saint-Fleur, an official of the Front for National Reconstruction,
FRN, says the Haitian Government is fighting to resume its relations with
Caricom. He blames Prime Minister Latortue for not fulfilling what he
previously said about the relations between Haiti and Caricom. He also
blames Foreign Minister yvon Simeon for not playing his role as foreign
affairs minister. Saint-Fleur says: "The prime minister announced that
relations with Caricom would resume. This is what the prime minister
said.... So, when the foreign minister came, it is certain that what he told
the prime minister is not what was actually discussed with [Caricom]
officials." (2 min)

17. The director of the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti, MINUSTAH,
communications office, Toussaint Kongo-Doudou, has shown once again
that he is willing to accompany the Haitian people, to facilitate a good
transition, and to allow the country to take the path of progress and
sustainable development. He explains that MINUSTAH will contribute to
disarm all those who have illegal weapons and will help the former
military to be reintegrated into national life. He adds that MINUSTAH will
help the government to hold good elections. He speaks of the cooperation
the mission will give the police to provide security to the Haitian people
and so that they can carry out the disarmament process. (3 min)

18. The last presentations of the Social Contract project to various sectors
of national life by the 184 Civil Society Organizations, G-184, will take
place at the beginning of August, according to G-184 leader Andre Apaid.
He explains that this step will allow them to form a departmental platform
and that a final document will be written. He adds this final document
should be published by the end of the year. (2 min)

19. Reading of a communique by the High Council of the Haitian National
Police, CSPNH, about former military who are causing problems in the
country. The communique denounces the fact that in some regions of the
country, the former military have arrested people and have performed
tasks that are essentially the responsibility of the PNH. The CSPNH
announces that as of 16 September it will disarm all those who are
moving around with weapons without proper authorization. Prime Minister
Latortue, Justice Minister Gousse, Interior Minister Herard Abraham, Fritz
Jean, a PNH official, and PNH Director Leon Charles signed this
communique. (2 min)

20. The Haitian National Police, PNH, announced over the weekend that
they arrested an individual who participated in setting fire to stores located
in downtown Port-au-Prince. PNH spokesman Bruce Myrthil explains that
Philema Remy, one of the four occupants of a vehicle with police tags,
was arrested. He speaks of security measures taken by the PNH in the
downtown area. (1 min)

21. Recapitulation. (2 min)

Source: Signal FM Radio, Port-au-Prince, in Creole 1230 gmt 12 Jul 04