22717: Fenton Signal FM, July 16 (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Anthony Fenton <apfenton@ualberta.ca>

Haiti: Highlights of Signal FM radio news 1130 gmt 16 Jul 04
16 July 2004
BBC Monitoring Americas
Figures in brackets indicate length of time of each item

1. Headlines. (8 min)

2. The news is dominated by the deaths of two Haitian National Police,
PNH, officers yesterday following an attack by unknown armed individuals
at the corner of John Brown Avenue and Martin Luther King Avenue in
Port-au-Prince. Another police officer was seriously injured. According to
witnesses, the attack took place near a gas station. Correspondent
Bernard Barns Baptiste reports that four policemen and one civilian were
injured during this attack. The bandits, who were riding in an L200
Mitsubishi pickup truck, used heavy weapons and took the weapons that
were in the possession of the victims, according to a witness. (4 min)

3. Former Colonel Himler Rebu, secretary general of the Group of
Reflection on Haiti, GREH, says that the murders of these policemen are
the results of the current authorities' negligence, as they do not yet have a
security plan to restore peace in Haiti, according to him. He adds that the
stage is set for the situation to deteriorate. He says: "//It is clear that
the
issue was not tackled properly from the start....//" He explains that it was a
mistake for government officials to think that the presence of foreign
troops would guarantee security. He asserts, "//Primary banditry is
everywhere around the world. The insecurity linked to the social
phenomenon is caused by extreme poverty, hunger, and unemployment. If
you do not solve the problems of hunger and extreme poverty, you will
always have it.//" He adds, "//We do not see what is being done to solve
the social insecurity problem.//" Rebu says the international community
cannot do anything if Haitian rulers do not have a plan. "//They managed
the Lavalas Family issue poorly,//" he adds. (3 min)

4. Pierre Esperance of the National Coalition for Haitian Rights, NCHR,
attributes yesterday's attack against the police patrol to the fact that
disarmament has not yet been carried out. He therefore asks for the
disarmament of armed bandits. "I believe that if there is a will there will be
a solution to the insecurity problem," Esperance says. He adds: "//I hope
the disarmament will be done regardless of political considerations.//" (1
min)

5. Heavy rains have caused problems in several poor neighbourhoods of
Port-au-Prince, in particular Solino and Caravelle where two children are
reported missing. The rains destroyed several houses in these areas.
Victims made statements at the microphone of Carl Edouard Regis. They
explain that their houses have been destroyed and that they have lost
everything they had. (2 min)

6. Residents of Carrefour-Feuilles and other regions of the country were
victimized by the latest rains. Correspondent Webster Compere gives
details in a report on the deterioration of the Haitian ecological system
and its consequences. "//The biggest problem is the houses that are
being built on top of Morne L'Hopital,//" according to a citizen who explains
that the lack of drainage ditches favours these problems. (3 min)

7. Dr Wildrid Joseph, leader of the Green Party, speaks of ecological
problems experienced by the country and the responsibilities of the
government towards citizens. He thinks education will allow the ecological
problems to be partially solved. (1 min)

8. Ads. (1 min)

9. A blaze of unknown origin started last evening at Cascade Restaurant
in Petion-Ville. Firefighters arrived there about 90 minutes after the fire
started and had problems putting it out because they could not find water.
Restaurant owner Jacques Bonnefil thanks all those who came to help.
He explains that his losses are enormous. (2 min)

10. Petion-Ville Mayor Maurice Prosper deplores the fact that a commune
like Petion-Ville does not have a fire department to quickly put out fires. He
calls on the owners of water trucks to help put out fires. (3 min)

11. Report by Wisnick Panier: Lavalas people's organization, OP,
members demonstrated in favour of Aristide yesterday. They demanded
the release of Yvon Neptune and Annette Auguste, also known as So Ann
(Sister Ann). They displayed Aristide's posters. This demonstration took
place on the occasion of Aristide's 51st birthday. They plan to hold another
demonstration on 28 July. (2 min)

12. Report by Nazaire Dupiton: Jean-Hugues Narcisse, leader of the Rally
of Staunch Militants of Saint-Marc, RAMICOS, demands Neptune's transfer
to the Saint-Marc jail. He tells justice officials that he is aware that
foreign
pressures are being put on them in favour of Neptune. He adds that
RAMICOS partisans are following the Neptune case closely, and they ask
the government and justice officials to do their job properly in spite of the
pressures. (2 min)

13. Ads. (5 min)

14. Report by Carl Edouard Regis: In spite of the divergences of opinions
among participants at the meeting of the international sponsors on Haiti
in Washington on 19 and 20, there is unanimity about the need for Haiti to
get funds for road repairs. Camille Charlemers of PAPDA, Haitian
Platform for an Alternative Development, criticizes the government's
neoliberal orientation. However, he favours Haiti's participation in the
meeting with the international sponsors and speaks of the country's
needs for better roads. (2 min)

15. Dr Gerard Blot, leader of the Tet Ansanm [Solidarity] Party, says that
international aid is far from being able to solve the problems of Third
World countries. He says he believes that the interim government's
programme is good but insufficient. If we can take 10 steps and we
content ourselves with taking only three steps, it is not good, according to
Blot. He adds, "//International cooperation has never developed any Third
World country. It is not international cooperation that will develop Haiti.//"
He calls for the union of all sectors to favour the country's development. (3
min)

16. High school state exams will be given next week. In this context,
several schools are organizing graduation ceremonies. Anne-Marie Issa
participated in the graduation ceremony of Saint Ignace Private High
School as a sponsor of the graduating class. She thanks the class for
having chosen her and Clarens Renois as sponsors. In her speech, Issa
invites graduates to use Signal FM's slogan "further, higher, and stronger"
as their theme. (4 min)

17. International news followed by ads. (9 min)

18. Signal FM apologizes for being unable to carry the "Guest Segment" of
the newscast today due to the fact that the station's telephone lines are
out of order. (1 min)

19. The symposium on population organized jointly by the Office of the
Secretary of State for Population, Profamil, the UN Fund for Population,
and the United Nations Development Programme, UNDP, ended
yesterday. On this occasion, participant Emmanuel Charles drew up a
positive assessment of this symposium. He said that the resolutions
adopted by the participants would soon be submitted to the competent
authorities for the necessary follow-up. (1 min)

20. Myriam Merlet, a women's rights activist who participated in the
population symposium, spoke in favour of the application of the laws
regarding population. She adds that no progress is possible in a society
where women's rights are not respected. She speaks of a woman's right
to decide how many children she wants. (3 min)

21. Recapitulation. (2 min)

Source: Signal FM Radio, Port-au-Prince, in French 1130 gmt 16 Jul 04