a1834: BBC: Haiti: Peasant leader urges national mobilizationagainst Lavalas government (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Robert Benodin <r.benodin@worldnet.att.net>

Haiti: Peasant leader urges national mobilization against Lavalas government
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; Apr 30, 2002


The Papaye Peasant Movement [MPP] is issuing a call for a true mobilization
to rid the country of the Lavalas government. In statements made in Hinche,
MPP leader Chavannes Jean-Baptiste has reaffirmed that the anti-Lavalas
mobilization is the only way to save democracy in Haiti.
Jean-Baptiste said that the MPP is ready to take the lead in the movement
and is asking for the support of the nation's influential people. The MPP
leader thinks that the OAS is not able to resolve the current impasse and
doubts the Lavalas government's willingness to negotiate effectively a way
out of the crisis. Jean-Baptiste speaks at the microphone of Jean Numa
Goudou:
[Jean-Baptiste - recording, in Creole throughout] We do not believe that the
negotiations will lead to any solution to the crisis. Despite the hope that
people have in the OAS mission, we do not believe that it will resolve the
country's problems. Even if a political agreement were reached, we clearly
say that nothing will make the Lavalas Family [FL] honour its commitments.
Therefore, we maintain the same position to say that the country's only
chance is for the people to be organized, for the people to be mobilized in
order to overturn the catastrophic situation and finish off the Lavalas
hurricane that is ravaging the country.
[Goudou] Speaking of mobilization, we know that it is a year now since the
MPP held a demonstration here that did not have a happy ending. And since
then no other movement of the MPP has been registered.
[Jean-Baptiste] Well, regarding the MPP and MPNKP [Papaye Congress National
Peasants' Movement], we are not an organization that sticks to only one
thing. We are a peasant organization that defends peasants' interests. When
it is necessary to go out and demonstrate we do so. So we held a march on
the occasion of the MPNKP national assembly, which we then decided to stop,
because of our sense of responsibility. But I must say that all the
demonstrators were willing to continue the march. They regretted the fact
that we did not allow them to do so.
Normally, we hold different kinds of activities. At this moment we are
concentrating our efforts on farming activities and the transformation of
farm products. That is our strategy. If tomorrow we judge it necessary to
hold a demonstration then nothing can prevent us from doing so.
But what we realize is that the mobilization cannot remain at the level of
just one organization. All organizations should be on the move. When we
stopped last year's demonstration, it was not because we could not hold it.
We simply realized that blood could be shed. Why should we allow blood to be
shed only in Hinche while that same movement can take place throughout the
country?
Our organization is always ready and on the move. Whenever there is a level
of awareness developing throughout all sectors of the population then we
shall be ready to take the lead, because, in fact, we are always mobilized.
Source: Radio Metropole, Port-au-Prince, in French 1145 gmt 29 Apr 02
/¸ BBC Monitoring