23393: Vedrine: Haiti & self destruction (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: E Vedrine <evedrine@hotmail.com>

HAITI & SELF DESTRUCTION

by E. W. Vedrine


The challenge is now before US and before EACH OF US: What can We do? What
can EACH OF US do to help cleaning Haiti's dirty face? These are the
questions to be asked.

It's quite sad when you hear that there are OVER 20 POLITICAL PARTIES in
HAITI. If these so-called Haitian politicians or leaders were really serious
about moving the country forward, they would certainly get together and
reduce that number to 3, try to organize elections the way they are
organized here in the United States (first, the candidates go to primary
presidential elections) and 2 parties go to final. “NOPE: because I don't
really see A COUNTRY, but rather finding ways to get green dollars for my
political party which is functioning as an ONG.”

So, I can understand some people when they say "I hate Haitian Politics".
Well, I guess most people who really care for change in Haiti don’t like the
way things are. Once someone gets elected... wow !!!  big deal !!! you hear:
“There was ‘magouy … they stole ballots... fight here and there”... Then you
wonder why the hell on earth when someone is elected the other parties can’t
wait for that person to complete his term? Sure there can be “opposition” in
a democratic society, but it shouldn’t mean “destruction”.

What we have seen so far in the political history of Haiti is DECHOUKAY or
DESTABILIZATION all the way from the country’s independence to its
bicentennial,  and that happens at all levels - not just at the political
level.

It is a whole mentality, one of DESTRUCTION (people from the same class,
field, group, institution, job, organization, religion are fighting each
other). The rat race! We had quite a pretty good example four years ago here
in the United States of what happened with their presidential elections. My
quick interpretation of it is reflected within the poem below:


KOUDETA NAN PEYI SIVILIZE

Koudeta peyi sivilize, gwo koze!
Tout kote nan lemonn branche pou obsève
Latwoublay blayi nan yon kokenn eleksyon
Ki pral potomitan anndan tout desizyon.

Yon siklòn politik balize Florida
Bilten Papiyon gentan vin pou gate sa
Batay legal pou rekontaj vot yo pete
Bagay yo mele kay Tonton Sam tout bon vre!

Gwo koze, koudeta peyi sivilize
Pèp ki pa te byen vote ap rele anmwe
Rezilta eleksyon sa a dire bon bout tan
Poudi pa ta gen magouy pou koupe devan?

Lobo pete devan grenn je lemonn antye
Leson tounèf pou ti peyi soudevlope
Kokenn batay ant kandida pou pran pouvwa.
Ala tray, demokrasi tonbe nan koma!


The two candidates, in a civilized way, took the case to court and all the
way to the SUPREME COURT for a last decision. And finally, CASE CLOSED! The
two parties and the American people moved on. Sometimes you wonder: Is it a
POLITICAL CULTURE in Haiti (when looking at the degradation of the state of
things)? One thing that many people like from Mayor Tom Menino (of Boston)
is when he says: “I am not a great talker, but I know how to get things
done”. In Haitian Politics, that is quite the reverse: “I am a great talker,
but I don’t know how to get things done.”