a700: Reacting to Powell's statements, Information and CultureMinister Guy Paul says the United States is aggravating the Haitian people'ssituation. (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

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

Haiti: Highlights of Radio Signal FM news 1230 gmt 8 Feb 02
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; Feb 9, 2002


2. More than 11 persons died yesterday in the Tunnel Open Market in
Carrefour-Feuilles after a high-voltage wire fell onto them. (1 min)
3. US Secretary of State Colin Powell says the United States will continue
to oppose international loans to Haiti, despite of the recommendations of
the Caricom countries. Powell says that he is very worried by the political
situation in Haiti. (1 min)
4. Reacting to Powell's statements, Information and Culture Minister Guy
Paul says the United States is aggravating the Haitian people's situation.
He adds that this is wickedness by the United States, which does not
understand the Haitian situation. Paul speaks of the existence of two groups
within the OAS: the Caricom group, which he describes as nice people, and
the hard liners, which includes the United States. (2 min)
5. Convergence spokesman Paul Denis praises the position expressed by
Secretary of State Powell. Denis thinks a political agreement must be signed
before international aid to Haiti can resume. Denis, who says that all
economic indicators are on red, says Aristide's assessment is totally
negative. He adds that Aristide should resign so the country's problems can
be solved. (2 min)
6. Ads. (3 min)
7. The Haitian head of state, who was speaking at the Darbonne Sugar Company
in Leogane yesterday, criticized the international community and the Haitian
opposition for freezing international aid to Haiti. Aristide called on his
supporters not to let themselves be caught in traps of provocation. (4 min)
8. Caricom denied having a biased position on the Haitian situation. The
Caricom representative in Haiti held a news conference yesterday in which he
said that they are not biased and that they only favour the interests of the
Haitian people. The spokesman comments on the recommendations of the Caricom
leaders following their recent meeting in Belize. (5 min)
10. Economic segment by Georges Henry, Jr, on the economic prospects for the
next months if the current situation continues in Haiti. Henry explains that
the budget deficit for the current fiscal year is apparently going to go far
beyond that of the preceding fiscal year. Some observers expect the dollar
exchange rate to go up to 30 gourdes, and the average interest rate on bank
loans to increase to 36 per cent. (3 min)
12. Report on the socioeconomic and political situation in Haiti one year
after Aristide took office. The Lavalas president made many promises that
have not been kept, and most people have expressed their disappointment. (5
min)
13. Aristide, who was giving a speech in Leogane yesterday, blamed the
Haitian economic elite responsible for the economic difficulties the country
is facing. He said that Haiti would get more help this year if the people
who are persecuting the people understood things better. He talked about
many things that his government might have done if there were not economic
sanctions against Haiti and invited the opposition to follow the Caricom's
example by asking for the lifting of the economic sanctions against Haiti.
(2 min)
14. Report by Jean-Claudy Saint-Cyr on Aristide's first year in office. Many
citizens living in the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince, who were
interviewed by Signal FM, expressed their disappointments. Some of them say
they have vowed not to vote again and add that they want the rulers to be
aware of the Haitian people's suffering. "But we the people are
disappointed," a citizen says. Another says: "Aristide's year in power has
been useless for me." Others speak of their economic hardships. Others say
that they voted for Aristide because they thought that he would do something
serious. Another group of citizens has expressed their satisfaction about
the actions of President Aristide since he took office on 7 February 2001.
(3 min)
15. Headline: Signing of an agreement between the French ambassador and
Haitian health organizations that fight AIDS. (1 min)
16. Ads. (4 min)
17. Resumption of item 15, with more details. The French Government has
provided 10 million gourdes to fight AIDS in Haiti. French Ambassador Yves
Gaudeul comments on France's commitment to fight AIDS in Haiti. (5 min)
18. The US Embassy in Haiti says the release of two Colombian drug dealers
who were arrested in Haiti is unacceptable. The embassy asks for an
investigation of this suspicious release of drug dealers. (1 min)
19. The Convention for Democratic Unity, KID, announces that its leader,
Evans Paul, is now in Washington at the invitation of the US Government. The
KID says that Paul participated yesterday morning in a breakfast with US
officials. (2 min)
20. News summary (3 min)
Source: Signal FM Radio, Port-au-Prince, in Creole 1230 gmt 8 Feb 02
/BBC Monitoring/ © BBC.