27957: Craig (news) Saving Hispaniola

[corbetre@webster.edu]

From: Dan Craig


http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bal-
op.haiti21feb21,0,448598.story?collºl-oped-headlines


Opinion > > op/ed
Saving Hispaniola
By JOHANNA MENDELSON FORMAN, CHETAN KUMAR and CHARLOTTE McDOWELL
February 21, 2006

WASHINGTON -- With the declaration of Rene Preval as the elected
president of Haiti, a narrow window of opportunity is open, yet again,
for consolidating democracy there.

The citizens of the beleaguered country cast their ballots for president
in this seemingly never-ending saga of election after election that
began with the departure of the Duvalier dictatorship in 1987.

As with previous elections, the latest round was marked by allegations
of vote fraud and mass street demonstrations, the refusal of the
opposition to accept the declared results and a concerted intervention
by the international community to bring the process to a close without
further chaos and violence.

More significantly, the latest round demonstrates that democracy in
Haiti is not just about elections alone. In the absence of political
parties skilled in the art of compromise, each new election is likely to
serve as a reminder of the Caribbean country's long-standing divisions
rather than the emergence of democracy.

At best, elections in Haiti provide a transitional moment. Not since
1994, when President Jean-Bertrand Aristide returned to Port-au-Prince
protected by a U.S.-led U.N. multinational force, has such a historic
moment arrived to turn the tide of Haiti's desperate situation. And yet
this window might close unless the international community moves beyond
the ballot box to reconstruction.

The tremendous obstacles still faced by the nation-building enterprise
in Iraq illustrate the critical importance of a coherent strategy and
planning. They are necessary for assisting a national leadership in
re-establishing security and the rule of law and for developing skills
and institutions that lead to dialogue and compromise. Haiti now offers
an opportunity for applying this fundamental lesson.

Haiti could seize this moment to take authentic steps toward democratic
governance and a degree of economic stability.

The first step is to acknowledge that the key challenges lie ahead, that
elections do not constitute closure. Otherwise, five years from now,
another international peace operation is likely to be guarding ballot
boxes in one more contentious election.

Haiti also will need the help of its neighbor, the Dominican Republic, a
democratic state that shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti and has
borne the brunt of its disorder as Haitians flee over the border in
search of security, employment and social services. Saving Haiti in this
post-electoral period will require not only changes within Haiti but
also the diplomatic and financial support of the international community
to save Hispaniola.

Post-electoral transitions have always been the Achilles' heel of
international efforts to promote democracy in Haiti. Elections have been
the preferred exit strategy when resources for development are slim and
political will may be lacking.

While the current U.N. mandate in Haiti includes support for national
dialogue among all political parties, this process will not materialize
without concerted international will. Mr. Preval's new government will
need to develop a common strategy for economic and political reform. In
the absence of such a process, Haiti might very well end up with a U.N.
transitional administration.

After this electoral cycle, Haiti still will be the poorest country in
the Western Hemisphere. It will remain the major transshipment point
through which passes an estimated 15 percent of the cocaine entering the
United States. It has the highest incidence of HIV/AIDS outside of
sub-Saharan Africa. And with 97 percent of the country deforested, Haiti
also will remain unproductive. These conditions will continue the flight
of Haitians to the Dominican Republic.

Haiti's best hope is a strong and democratic Dominican Republic. But the
Dominican Republic, and its leader, President Leonel Fernandez, cannot
do it alone.

Even though Mr. Fernandez traveled to Haiti in December to reach out to
all political parties and candidates, his effort was curtailed by riots
in Port-au-Prince. If Mr. Fernandez is to succeed, he will need the
support of the U.S., the Organization of American States, the United
Nations and regional leaders to ensure that his country is not brought
down by the economic, political and social chaos that is spilling over
the border.

Even with its impressive economic growth - at 7 percent last year,
third-largest in Latin America and the Caribbean - the Dominican
Republic could be compromised by sharing an island with a failed state.

Saving Hispaniola should be a top priority of the United States, given
President Bush's determination that failed states threaten U.S. national
security. Allowing Haiti to fester would not only jeopardize its
neighbors but also drain U.S. tax coffers to pay for yet another
international peace operation. Americans are growing tired of paying for
transitions that have no end in sight.

Johanna Mendelson Forman is director of the Peace, Security and Human
Rights Program at the U.N. Foundation. Chetan Kumar has worked on
efforts to promote political dialogue in Haiti. Charlotte McDowell is a
researcher at the U.N. Foundation. Their e-mails are
jmendelson-forman@unfoundation.org, bethchet@comcast.net and
cmcdowell@unfoundation.org.

Copyright © 2006, The Baltimore Sun



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