23809: (Request) Hyppolite Pierre regarding Latortue's arrest warrant (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Hyppolite Pierre <hpierre@irsp.org>

This is just a question regarding legal procedure. I am not trained in
Haitian law, nor do I know much of anything about Haiti's legal Rules of
Procedures.

Just like everyone else on this list, I have just read that Latortue has
demanded the issuance of an arrest warrant for deposed president
Jean-Bertrand Aristide. My question is: does he have the legal rights, as
the interim Prime Minister of Haiti, to do that? Should that be the privy of
an elected Legislative Chamber after thorough investigation by an
independent body? Should that be the privy of the current interim President,
or should that be a call issued by investigators after they had conducted a
probe on the level of corruption under Lavalas and with Aristide in
particular, one they had released a convincing report that there is
reasonable cause to make such demand?

How did Latortue acquire the authority, as a non-elected interim Prime
Minister, to order his "twin" Bernard Gousse to issue an arrest warrant for
Aristide? Is that a legally and constitutionally acceptable course of
action, or is this just once more application of the "winner-take-all"
mentality?

Again, this is just a question about procedure. Those who are
Haitian-trained lawyers on the list and who are familiar with these sorts of
procedures should enlighten us.

I hope there won't be silence on this issue. We all need to know...

Best to you all,
Hyppolite