8541: Highlights of Radio Haiti-Inter news (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

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

Haiti: Highlights of Radio Haiti-Inter news 1200 gmt 02 Jul 01
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; Jul 3, 2001


The "Inter Current Events" newscast; passages within slantlines in Creole

1. Prelude to the "Inter Current call for Events" newscast, followed by ads
on persecutions against Radio Haiti Inter for more than 50 years.

2. Headlines and ads.

3. Report on the US dollar exchange rates at various banks in Port-au-Prince
yesterday, followed by ads.

4. After 48 hours of intense, OAS-sponsored negotiations between the
protagonists involved in the Haitian crisis, the 1 July deadline for the
formation of the new Provisional Electoral Council, CEP, was not respected.
However, the various parties have agreed on a formula for the composition of
the CEP. This formula includes nine institutions: the Catholic Church, the
Episcopal Church, the Reformed Churches, the judicial authority, the
employers' associations, the human rights organizations, the Lavalas Family
(FL), the Democratic Convergence, and the other political parties. The
protagonists have agreed on the need to reach a political agreement.
However, some points of disagreement, such as the total resumption of the 21
May elections and amendments to the 26 November elections, persist. The new
CEP would have the mission of reviewing the presidential elections of 26
November 2000. This proposal by the Convergence has been rejected by the FL.

5. OAS Assistant Secretary General Luigi Einaudi is happy that his
organization has begun to decrease the mistrust that prevailed between the
protagonists of the crisis and some sectors of the international community.

6. Negotiations will resume this morning at the Montana Hotel. Senator Yvon
Neptune, FL interim national representative, says significant progress has
been made during these meetings between the Convergence, FL, and the Civil
Society Initiative Group, GISC, under the aegis of the OAS and some
diplomats accredited to Haiti. The question of the mandate assigned to the
new CEP remains the main point of disagreement between FL and the
Convergence, according to Neptune.

7. Einaudi said yesterday, at the conclusion of the discussions at the
Montana Hotel, that the discussions were very encouraging. He added that
even though the date of 1 July was not respected, the negotiations would
continue. He pointed out that the protagonists did not need a new deadline
and that they would continue their work. He asserted that he was working in
order to reach a lasting agreement.

8. Connecticut Democratic Senator Christopher Dodd was at the Montana Hotel
where the negotiations were taking place. He said that he was confident that
an agreement would be found. He added that he sincerely believed that
President Jean-Bertrand Aristide takes the Haitian people's needs seriously
and said that he will encourage Aristide to find an agreement to get the
country out of the crisis.

9. Ads.

10. Resumption of item 8. Dodd, who was present in the room where the
negotiations were taking place, said that the protagonists were close to
reaching a political agreement, given the goodwill shown by the concerned
parties. Dodd pointed out that the deadline was not important for the
formation of the CEP and that the essential thing is to reach an agreement
within the framework of a true compromise.

11. International news and ads.

12. The absence of a true judicial power in the country and the
irresponsibility of the government in the investigations about the murders
of Jean Dominique and Jean-Claude Louissaint are two reasons, among others,
that have caused this case to have reached a dead end today. Simon
Saint-Hubert, one of the officials of the Platform of Haitian Organizations
of Human Rights, spoke during a special programme on Radio Haiti Inter on 30
June. He said that the absence of a council of magistrature tasked with
defining the priorities of the Justice Department reinforces the dependence
of the judicial power on the executive power. The resignation of Judge
Claudy Gassant is the result of this control of the executive power over the
judicial power. Saint-Hubert notably says: "//In light of the judges'
demands, we have the impression that there is a lack of responsibility on
the part of the Haitian Government about this case.//" Patrick Elie, of the
Jean Dominique Echo Foundation, said that the judicial power's independence
from the executive branch is an important factor. However, he denounced the
lack of political willingness by the Justice Department, the government, and
even the parliament. According to Elie, this lack of willingness is
characterized by the silence of these three powers about a series of
obstacles that stand in the way of the inquiry. Elie pointed out that,
contrary what happened during the Duvalier era or during the military
governments, the executive branch has not directly intervened to block the
inquiry into Dominique's murder. He said the current Lavalas government does
not seem to be especially concerned about judicial issues.

13. Judge Gassant returned to his office at the Palace of Justice, but he
has not yet resumed the case of the 3 April 2000 murders, for which the
public prosecutor has requested additional information, called a
supplemental brief. In the meantime, it has been reported that Gassant was
the subject of a very strange threat. He received an envelope that contained
the report drawn up by Justice of the Peace Gabriel Ambroise, who is now
suspended because he questioned prisoners who had been arrested for
involvement in Dominique's murder. Inside the envelope was a [magic] powder,
obviously white powder. It is not the white powder that we know and that is
talked about a lot. It was another type of powder, apparently aimed at
intimidating the judge. However, the judge seems to be protected against
such powders.

14. "I have no other weapon than my profession of journalist, my microphone,
and my unshakable faith as a militant for change, true change." This quote
by Dominique is included in a publication by the Freedom Forum that honours
the 26 journalists who were murdered throughout the world last year.

15. International news on journalists killed throughout the world last year.
More than 12 journalists have already been killed this year.

16. Ads on impunity, followed by ads, news summary, ads, and international
news.

17. Residents of Fort-Mercredi are complaining about insecurity in their
neighbourhood. They accuse Felix Bien-Aime, director of the Port-au-Prince
cemetery, and Luckner Momplaisir, deputy mayor of Port-au-Prince City Hall,
of being at the root of the violent incidents that happened in Gran Ravin.
These two personalities allegedly gave weapons to the Gran Ravin groups.
Interior Minister Menard and Deputy Simson Liberis promised that justice
would be rendered to the victims. Human rights and women's organizations
that investigated these incidents found that the situation there is due to
anarchical actions by groups close to the Lavalas regime in the region. The
Gran Ravin victims ask the government to apply the zero-tolerance operation
against armed individuals in Grand Ravin.

18. The policemen found guilty in the Carrefour-Feuilles massacre and the
Haitian Government were instructed to pay amount of 800 million gourdes as
compensation to the victims or their relatives following the civil trial
verdict. Today, these victims must pay 16 million gourdes to the General
Directorate of Taxes, DGI, to register the verdict that sentences the
government and the police to pay them 800 million gourdes as compensation.
According to Lustin Murray, Jr, a DGI official, if these victims do not
register the sentence at the DGI by paying 2 per cent of their
compensation - that is, 16 million gourdes - as required by the law, they
will not be able to get the amount of their compensation.

19. National anthem, followed by international news, followed by ads.

20. Report by correspondent Dejean Ulysse in Petit-Goave: A person was
killed near Saint-Michel du Sud when armed bandits were trying to enter the
home of a resident. The police arrested an individual who is allegedly a
former police officer and who is suspected of being one of the armed
bandits.

21. Report by correspondent Victor Innocent in Gros-Morne: On 29 June, more
than 30 motorcycle taxi drivers demonstrated in Gros-Morne. They were
protesting the arrest of one of their colleagues by the police at the
request of the city hall. Lyonel Pierre-Louis was arrested following a
discussion he had with the mayor of Gros-Morne over a question of the tax on
animals. The city hall has imposed a tax of 100 gourdes on each animal owned
by a resident of the city.

22. Ads.

23. Economic segment by Pierre Emmanuel: Duclos Benisoit was confirmed as
the new director general of the Service Plus Bus line by President Aristide
on 29 June. This nomination was announced during a meeting between Aristide
and the drivers' union in charge of the Service Plus Bus Line. The main
purpose of this meeting was to turn to this bus line into a transportation
cooperative. Service Plus is going well, according to Aristide, who adds
that does not mean that it does not need to be watched. Aristide speaks of
the need to turn the Service Plus Bus Line into a transportation
cooperative. Several experts in cooperatives participated in the meeting.
The drivers took the opportunity to submit their demands to the head of
state.

24. Cultural news: More than 100,000 students will in the first part of the
baccalaureate exams starting today.

25. Sports.

Source: Radio Haiti-Inter, Port-au-Prince, in French 1200 gmt 2 Jul 01

/BBC Monitoring/ © BBC.