7527: Re: 7501: The current situation; Simidor comments (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Pierre Jean <pierrejean01@yahoo.com>

> From: mark gill <doctorgill@clas.net>

> ****is Gourgue growing in public popularity?  is
> there a chance he can
> "outshine" Aristide as a
> "man of the people"? 

I am not sure about Gerard Gourgue's stature at this
point, but the one thing I do know for certain is that
he will probably never "outshine" JBA as a "man of the
people". Let's not forget that this former defender of
civil rights and "hero" during the late Duvalier years
committed one major blunder which will not be not
easily forgiven: his call for the reinstatement of the
much despised Haitian army was not well received. Some
people may want to see them come back. I don't.

In fact, I do not see anyone on the horizon who comes
even close to JBA in popularity . 

What the Convergence should do is stop begging the
International Community to come "save the country."
Instead, they should use the significant sums of money
they received from USAID and other such organizations
and put them to good use in building their popularity
with the Haitian people (practically from scratch,
since they have none.)This means building real
parties, with relevant platforms (when was the last
time you saw or read the OPL or MIDH or whatever else
platforms?) and not three-member organisations that
they have the audacity of calling parties.
Establishing a real following among ordinary citizens
through a program that will lead to the betterment of
all is the  way to build real democracy and political
pluralism.

[In that respect, Lavalas now needs to start
delivering on its promises and fast, or else ...]

After all, for all their talk of democracy and
complaints about the May and November 2000 elections,
the Convergence's own "government" is anything but
democratic and anything but popular ... since Gourgue
was named and not elected. Who are the Prime Minister
and  ministers of this government again? Weren't they
supposed to have taken function some time back? What
have they accomplished so far?

It is true that Lavalas has made some serious
mistakes, but the Convergence's chosen path is even
more inane at this point. Weren't it for a clarly
biased press, they would be nowhere on the political
map today.

By the way, is Gerard Gourgues the same Gerard
Gourgues  who attended the School of the Americas at
Fort Benning, Georgia, from January 19 to June 5th,
1959? I am not sure, but I hope that some of the more
knowledgeable people on this list will help. Just
curious ...

(See www.soaw.org/Graduates/ha5662.html for a full
list of the Haitian Graduates of the School of the
Americas.)

Pierre Jean
 


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