22684: Fenton: Radio Metropole July 13 (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Anthony Fenton <apfenton@ualberta.ca>

Haiti: Highlights of Radio Metropole news
13 July 2004
BBC Monitoring Americas
English
(c) 2004 The British Broadcasting Corporation [date of publication]. All
Rights Reserved.

Figures in brackets indicate length of time of each item

1. Headlines (5 min)

2. A follow-up committee has been formed with representatives of the
government, the presidency, the political sectors, civil society and the
Council of Wise Men (COEP) for the implementation of the political
transition agreement. (4 min)

3. A Caribbean Community (Caricom) delegation headed by Foreign
Minister Billie Miller of Barbados will arrive in Port-au-Prince tomorrow to
discuss matters with the interim government, according to official
sources. Representatives of five Caricom countries will take part in this
mission. (1 min)

4. The government has issued a communique to explain the issues that
the Caricom delegation plans to discuss: the government's commitment
to include all political parties in the current process and to treat them
fairly;
the government's commitment to take legal action against all well known
criminals; the government's commitment not to take arbitrary action or file
lawsuits against political opponents; the government's commitment to set
up an adequate electoral council for the organization of free, fair and
transparent elections; and the government's commitment to hold
elections within an acceptable deadline under the supervision of the
international community in general and Caricom in particular. Caricom
underscores that it is committed in its effort to reinforce its charter. It
underscores that the above-mentioned points are not prerequisites for the
recognition of the Haitian transitional government but that they show
concerns that Caricom officials wish to clarify and about which they wish
to receive the assurances and clear commitment of the Port-au-Prince
government. (2 min)

5. Members of the Democratic Convergence say that they are ready to
meet the Caricom delegation. The Convergence warns that it will be
courteous but firm on certain issues. The Convergence hopes that the
Caricom countries are not coming to teach them lessons about
democracy given their past attitude towards the fallen regime. Micha
Gaillard said: "I do believe that the political class, civil society and the
government will have to remain cool. For, there is a misunderstanding
that we inherited from the negative politics of Jean-Bertrand Aristide
vis-a-vis Caricom and there is a particular way that Caricom is trying to get
out of the situation. In this case, I think that we should receive these
emissaries courteously and show firmness towards them at the same
time. We need to explain Haiti's current situation at all levels, democratic,
electoral and economic. We need to make it clear to them that we are all
working in our own way to build this rule of law. And we refuse all political
lessons from them with respect to what we are doing now." (3 min)

6. The High Council of the Haitian National Police (CSPNH) informs that it
has received negative reports about the behaviour of former members of
the armed forces and members of the Front who have set themselves up
as forces of order and the police in several regions of the country
especially in the North, the Centre Department and the Artibonite. (2 min)

7. Concerning the issue of the former armed forces, Justice Minister
Bernard Gousse, who was a guest on Radio Metropole's Encounter
Programme yesterday, said that the authorities are going to adopt
measures to correct this situation. Gousse said: "Although we were able
to understand this situation in the beginning of March we can say that
there is very little justification for it now. Because the legally constituted
and organized force that has the support of the state is the Haitian
National Police (PNH). So, there is no justification for other armed
individuals to pretend to be ensuring public order. We are going to work
as quickly as possible to make sure that the PNH is able to ensure public
order alone so that we can invite all those who for a certain time were able
to lend a hand to help restore order to lay down their weapons." (3 min)

8. Ads (5 min)

9. Relations between Anamah (National Association of Haitian
Magistrates) and the minister of justice are back to normal. Anamah
members who were critical of Minister Gousse have changed their
attitude after meeting with him. Jean P. Paul said: "We believe that the
justice minister is headed in the right direction. Our concerns have almost
disappeared." The justice minister promised to do some repairs on the
Palace of Justice and make a library available for the judges. (2 min)

10. Justice Minister Gousse also announced a salary raise for the judges.
He explained that his ministry would get loans to help it execute this plan.
Gousse deplored the precarious situation in which most courts function
and considered it unacceptable. (3 min)

11. Human rights organizations criticize the judicial apparatus in the North
Department. Human rights activists who were in the region over the
weekend denounce the cohabitation of the police and the demobilized
armed forces in this department. Jean Rony Jean reports that officials of
the National Coalition for Haitian Rights (NCHR) and the Platform of
Human Rights Organizations (POHDH) were in Cap-Haitien over the
weekend as part of a series of investigations of the judicial system,
prisons and police stations in the North. The delegation visited Dondon,
Grande-Riviere-du-Nord, Saint-Raphael and others. Activists said that
they have not noticed much progress in the functioning of the police and
the judicial apparatus. They deplore the fact that these authorities lack
resources, which paralyses their ability to function. (3 min)

12. The Spanish secretary of state for international cooperation is
currently visiting Port-au-Prince to evaluate the state of cooperation
between the two countries. She hopes to meet officials of the UN
peacekeeping force (Minustah) within the framework of a possible
deployment of 140 Spanish civil guards. In an exclusive interview with
Radio Metropole, Spanish Secretary of State Liera Pajin affirms Madrid's
willingness to strengthen relations with Port-au-Prince. She is due to
meet Prime Minister Gerard Latortue and government members later
today. (2 min)

13. It has been confirmed that Brazil and Haiti will play a football game in
Port-au-Prince on 18 August as part of the disarmament campaign,
according to the Brazilian press. People will hand in illegal weapons in
exchange for a ticket to the match. According to local press, the best
Brazilian football players will play. (2 min)

14. International news, ads (12 min)

15. News summary, ads (6 min)

Source: Radio Metropole, Port-au-Prince, in French 1145 gmt 12 Jul 04