a1500: BBC: Haiti: Civil Society Initiative Group says oppositionmust prepare for elections (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

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

Haiti: Civil Society Initiative Group says opposition must prepare for
elections
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; Mar 28, 2002


The Civil Society Initiative Group [GISC] has called for a climate that
favours the resumption of the negotiations to end the crisis. The GISC
supports the stance adopted by the president of the Episcopal Conference,
who had invited the government to adopt certain measures to facilitate the
resumption of the dialogue.
In a note made public yesterday, the GISC urges the opposition to play its
role to the full on the political scene and to prepare itself for future
elections. It invites citizens to intervene in the debate in order to force
the politicians to move in the right direction. Spokesman Rosny Desroches
said the following to Rotchild Francois Jr:
[Desroches - recording] For instance, we think that the law should be
applied against those who are notoriously guilty; and those people who are
kept in prison while there is a court ruling in their favour should be
released. We also think about disarming the armed gangs that are spreading
death, mourning and terror in our urban and suburban centres. These measures
are very important for creating a climate of confidence and they are
susceptible to facilitating electoral competition in a climate of serenity.
[Francois] What should the opposition leaders do in this case?
[Desroches] I think that the opposition should continue to defend its right
to compensation for its premises that were destroyed. We also think that the
opposition should start to prepare itself for the new electoral competitions
that should take place anyway. We do not know when that will be yet, because
there are certain arrangements that should be made. For instance, a
Provisional Electoral Council [CEP] should be formed and an electoral
apparatus should be set up, as well as an electoral law.
And all of those things should be done in the right way. There should be a
secure environment so that the political parties may go out into the field
to campaign freely. Moreover, they need to prepare themselves, their
programmes and their campaign plans so that they may occupy the place that
they might deserve at the level of elective office, whether in the
parliament or in the territorial collectives.
[Francois] In that note that the GISC released, we notice that it addresses
the citizens, too.
[Desroches] We think that the citizens should not only speak and express
their opinions, but they should also be mobilized to insist that the current
[people in] power must behave in a responsible manner regarding the needs of
the population and also regarding its obligations at the management level.
Source: Radio Metropole, Port-au-Prince, in French 1145 gmt 27 Mar 02
/BBC Monitoring/ © BBC.