6016: Haiti's leaders keep me second guessing (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Reginald <rverdieu@amherst.edu>

    An older gentleman once to me that the problem with Haiti is that
she has too much politics and no politicians.  I agreed with him and
repeated that sentiment many times.  However, due to the recent events
in Haiti I've had to change my mind.  I think that Fanmi Lavalas and the
opposition have both done an excellent job at spinning every event to
their benefit.
    First, Can any of us on this list, that are not in the leadership of
these political parties, be certain that there were ever any plans for
an attempted coup?  If the whole thing was created by the
Aristide/Preval camp I have to say that it was a brilliant pre-emptive
strike against members of the HNP that might not be friendly to Aristide
once he's re-elected.
    Secondly, the day before the bombings began the OPL released a
statement on the Center for International Policy's web site stating that
the Lavalas party plans on staging a violent attack against the
parliament and pin it on them.  On the next day the site posted this
brief statement "Breaking news from Haiti. Several bombs go off in the
capital. On Delmas 95 behind the Caribbean Market, people have been
wounded. On Rue des Césars, people are dead, among them a
fourteen-year-old boy. By the cathedral, unconfirmed report of eight
dead. The so-called popular organizations have gathered already and are
marching toward the office of the Democratic Convergence. The phone
lines are dead at Tabarre. Aristide partisans on radio threatening to
kill Gérard Pierre-Charles, Evans Paul, and others. These have gone
underground."  Although it is quite possible that Fanmi Lavalas could
have orchestrated the bombings, which would have been an equally
brilliant move, but I highly doubt it since I'm sure with so much riding
on this election they've been trying to be on their best behavior.  It
would be more realistic to assume that the opposition, with more to gain
with marred elections, is responsible for the bombings.  Regardless, the
web site postings were a good attempt at deflecting the blame.  Oh one
more thing, I think it's great that Chavannes Jean-Baptiste is already
calling Aristide a dictator when he hasn't even been sworn in yet.  It
would be even better if all of these parties would publish their
platform and start a debate on how to run the country and not simply who
should be running it.
    Lastly, it's amazing that we are still debating the departure of
Leon Manus more than 5 months removed from his fleeing Haiti.  Since it
is ultimately his word against that of Preval and Aristide we will never
know the truth.  However, the main reason we are still debating it is
because both sides, from the very beginning, were very effective at
articulating their version of his reasons for leaving.  I worked for CIP
over the summer and I had the pleasure of sitting in on a couple of his
meetings.  My gut feeling tells me that he really cares about Haiti and
he was genuinely concerned about his, and his family's, well being in
Haiti.
    It's a real shame that these intelligent men and women haven't put
the needs of the country above their own and figure a way to lead.

Sincerely,
Reginald