7808: Highlights of Radio Signal FM news (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Max Blanchet <maxblanchet@worldnet.att.net>

 Haiti: Highlights of Radio Signal FM news 1230 gmt 8 May 01

Haiti: Highlights of Radio Signal FM news 1230 gmt 8 May 01
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; May 9, 2001


"0730 Appointment" news; figures in brackets indicate times in minutes
elapsed since start of programme; passages within double oblique strokes in
French

1. [00] Headlines.

2. [03] President Jean-Bertrand Aristide has written to the Democratic
Convergence to invite them to a meeting that will be held at the Haitian
National Pantheon Museum, MUPANAH, at 0800 [local time] tomorrow with the
purpose of paving the way for the resolution of the crisis. Aristide wrote
this letter following his meeting with representatives of political parties
and members of civil society and the business sector at the National Palace
on 3 May. This invitation has been sent in order to continue with the
dialogue process, according to a press release issued by the National Palace
press office.

3. [04] The Patriotic Movement To Save the Nation, MPSN, a member of the
Convergence, has received the president's invitation with much satisfaction.
Professor Hubert De Ronceray, spokesman for the MPSN and an influential
member of the Convergence, says: "We left the Convergence offices around
1500. We had not yet received the invitation, but we did hear on the radio
that an invitation had been sent. Anyway, we suppose that it arrived during
the night. The Convergence will meet this morning. I believe that the press
will know our answer before noon."

To the question: "Does the Convergence plan to give a positive answer to
this invitation?" De Ronceray replies: "Well, given that we are normally in
favour of meetings and negotiations, we are always available to meet with
the head of the Lavalas Family [FL] on neutral ground. This means that I
certainly think that the Convergence will look into this point in a
satisfactory manner."

Asked about the coincidence between Gaviria's visit to Haiti and the date of
the meeting scheduled by Aristide, De Ronceray says: "We believe that it is
not a bad thing if the OAS comes to visit us." He continues: "We believe
that it is good that the OAS comes to see us so we can give them all the
data that may still be lacking so a decision can be made more quickly."

4. [06] Professor Gerard Pierre, leader of the Struggling People's
Organization, OPL, hails the invitation to participate in a meeting with
Aristide tomorrow. He says the Convergence member parties will meet this
morning in order to discuss the invitation. He announces that a favourable
answer will be given to this invitation. He thinks this meeting will give
them an opportunity to follow-up on the last meeting between the FL and the
Convergence on 27 April. His statements follow: "We have received Aristide's
invitation. This invitation has come following a series of negotiations - I
can say --that have been held in order to see how the meeting held at Villa
Creole on 27 April can be followed up. This is what we have been expecting
since 27 April. The answer he gave on 3 May was not correct for us.
Therefore, we did not go. There was no meeting, because the Convergence was
not there. It was a big show for the media." Furthermore, Pierre-Charles
says: "We are going to discuss it, but my first reaction is that I think
that we are going to the meeting. We are going to discuss so as to determine
under what conditions we are going to it and what we will be talking about."

5. [09] Yesterday, a meeting was held between members of civil society and
the Convergence. One of the representatives of the Convergence officials,
OPL leader Pierre-Charles, evoked the straightforwardness that marked the
meeting. He explains: "With much straightforwardness, they reproached some
sectors of the opposition for not being flexible enough. However, we replied
that [words indistinct] and that //we have all the flexibility in the world,
that we had nothing to give, and that the position we have always held is
that we are demanding respect for democratic principles.//" He adds that the
y will tackle the negotiations with as much good faith as possible.

6. [13] Headlines and ads.

7. [17] The FL still holds the same position on the 21 May 2000 elections,
according to Senator Yvon Neptune, interim national representative of the
party. Neptune has reaffirmed the his party's determination to work to
facilitate dialogue on the vote counting method used in the 21 May
elections. He says the head of state is waiting for a report on the 3 May
meeting to issue a communique in the next few days. The following is an
excerpt from Neptune's statements: "The FL's position has been expressed on
several occasions. As you have noted, the FL participated as a political
organization in the elections with the great majority of the people, who
have already given their position on the election issue. Questions are being
asked about the FL's victory. The FL clearly says that we maintain our
position in favour of dialogue so we can see how we can answer this
question. The FL has never agreed that the 21 May elections should be held
again. This is out of the question. It is only a question of (?some aspects
of) the 21 May senatorial elections. There are other problems in the
country. There are problems about elections in the country. The 21 May
elections were not the last elections that will ever take place in the
country. Other elections have to be held in the country. There are problems
about the dates for holding elections. [Words indistinct] This is something
that concerns the state, the government, the political players, and other
players in society.

8. [20] Prime Minister Jean-Marie Cherestal says it is not the
responsibility of only one person or only one sector to find a solution to
the current crisis. Cherestal thus rejects the accusations from some sectors
of the opposition that say the government is using double talk with regard
to the proposed or suggested date of 18 May as the deadline for the
resolution of the crisis. This date was set by President Aristide and
representatives of various sectors in the country. The crisis cannot be
resolved through disagreements or by showing bad faith. We need to tell the
truth, according to the prime minister, who adds: "//No matter whether it is
the ruling party or the entire opposition or the Convergence, I believe that
everybody has something to bring so we can get out of this crisis.//"

9. [22] The United States has encouraged the Haitian protagonists to reach a
political compromise. US Ambassador Brian Dean Curran said so while he was
participating in the official launch of the strategic planning process for
the struggle against AIDS. He explained that the United States has not
changed position and that it always advocates dialogue, compromise, and
flexibility to resolve the crisis.

10. [23] Various Haitian employers' associations held an important meeting
over the past weekend in order to find a final solution to the crisis. Many
proposals have been made to resolve the crisis. The employers' association
is now preparing a final document that will be submitted to Aristide and the
opposition. It should be pointed out that the business sector participated
in a meeting with Aristide at the National Palace last week. Aristide has
already received documents from the main employers' associations on the
current crisis.

11. [25] The FL deputies say they are ready to end their terms to facilitate
the resolution arising from the 21 May elections. Delmas Deputy Yves
Crystallin encourages the protagonists to continue to talk so the crisis can
be resolved. He says he is willing to comply with whatever decision his
party might make for the good of the nation.

12. [26] Alix Lamarque, president of the Provisional Electoral Council, CEP,
says the complementary elections that the institution is organizing will not
be held unless the crisis is resolved. In the meantime, the CEP members are
working to establish structural bases, especially in the electoral
departments. The CEP, led by Alix Lamarque, cannot yet work properly. The
CEP president says the complementary elections cannot be held unless the
discussions to resolve the crisis reach an end. Lamarque: "Complementary
elections directly lead to the formation of the Permanent Electoral Council.
This council is elected for nine years.... this means if there is
controversy over the 21 May elections and the 26 November elections." He
thinks it would not be a good idea to hold new elections at this time. He is
satisfied to see that there is a chance to get out of the crisis. CEP
Treasurer Harold Julien explains that two things particularly interested
them. They wan to get in touch with the people who are in charge of CEP
materials in the provincial cities. Some of the CEP members announce that
they will visit Centre Department on 8 May.

13. [30] Ads.

14. [32] Economic segment by Georges Henry, Jr, on economic growth in
France.

15. [36] Ads, followed by international news.

16. [40] An Ivorian national was abducted yesterday in front of his home in
Montagne Noire, Petion-Ville, by a group of unidentified individuals. His
wife explains that he did not have particular problems with anybody and
attributes this abduction to the general situation of insecurity that
prevails in the country.

17. [43] Justice Minister Garry Lissade has announced investigations for the
arrest of all those who perpetrate kidnappings in the country. Lissade is
pleased by the various actions undertaken jointly by his ministry and the
police in order to fight banditry and insecurity in Haiti. Lissade warns all
kidnappers: "This is a new evil that is taking shape in the country, but we
will not let it develop." He explains that investigations are under way in
order to find those responsible for these abductions. He invites the kidnap
victims to provide information that can help the police find and arrest the
kidnappers.

18. [45] Ads.

19. [48] The strategic plan for the struggle against AIDS was launched
yesterday in Port-au-Prince. During the inaugural ceremony at the Montana
Hotel, Health Minister Henry-Claude Voltaire said that this programme will
allow the prevention and the treatment of sexually transmitted diseases,
such as AIDS. He announced the formation of a sector-based committee to
implement this programme. For her part, Lea Guido, representative of the WHO
and the Pan-American Health Organization, says all UN organizations gathered
within UNAIDS are willing to contribute to the success of this plan. On this
occasion, President Aristide spoke of the government's commitment in the
struggle against AIDS. He said that, despite the country's financial
difficulties, "there must be a general mobilization against AIDS."

20. [54] The Belle-Anse Coffee Planters Organization is complaining about
the problems caused by an insect that is infesting the coffee plantations.
The president of the association, Jean-Samelite Desruisseaux [phonetic],
says the planters of Belle-Anse and Thiote risk losing between 40 and 50 per
cent of their coffee crops because of this insect. They call on officials at
the Ministry of Agriculture to send technicians to the area to help them
fight this insect.

21. [56] Report by correspondent Yves Delva in Cavaillon on violent
incidents between inhabitants of the region and policemen following a road
accident that happened during the morning of 7 May. Two people died in the
accident. After the driver of a vehicle struck and killed a little girl who
was going to school, the driver fled to avoid attacks by the girl's
relatives and took refuge at the Cavaillon Police Station. Another person
who jumped out of the vehicle fell and died. A few minutes later, several
dozen people went to the Cavaillon Police Station. They smashed up the
vehicle and told the policemen to hand the driver over to them. The
policeman, who did not give in to these demands, managed to take the driver
to Aquin.

22. [58] News summary.

Source: Signal FM Radio, Port-au-Prince, in Creole 1230 gmt 8 May 01

/BBC Monitoring/ © BBC