a12017: BBC: Haiti's Convergence meets international mission, setsconditions for talks (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

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

Haiti's Convergence meets international mission, sets conditions for talks
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; May 13, 2002


[Announcer] The Democratic Convergence said that it is in favour of the
negotiations, but sets conditions. Opposition leaders clearly passed on that
message during their meeting last night with the OAS [Organization of
American States] assistant secretary-general [Luigi Einaudi] and William
Hunt of Caricom [Caribbean Community]. The Convergence considers its meeting
with the joint OAS/Caricom mission productive. Convergence spokesman Micha
Gaillard spoke as follows:
[Gaillard - recording] The discussions took place on the nine points in
terms of creating conditions for security and justice. We therefore asked
them to understand the purpose for that and that when meeting with
[President Jean-Bertrand] Aristide this morning they would get him to
understand the necessity to create security conditions within a period of
one week to one month. The security conditions start with the disarmament of
armed groups, followed by the release of prisoners who have a court ruling
in their favour. Public actions should be taken against all individuals who
are involved in the 17 December events. And as requested by Resolution 806,
the reactivation of the investigation of crimes that were politically
motivated, starting from Mireille Durocher Bertin to Jean Dominique. There
is also the fact that Lavalas members will have to stop using malevolent
words. The OAS/Caricom mission asked specific questions about all those
points in a methodical manner. We gave the necessary explanations and they
were very pleased.
[Rotchild Francois Jr] When should people expect the negotiations to resume,
because they are going to set up the compensation mission today.
[Gaillard] Actually, there is also the issue of the compensation commission.
There is also a member of the OAS who came to be part of that commission.
The commission will be inaugurated tomorrow, and the members think that
their work will be completed in about a month. As for the damages that are
to be paid, the terms will need to be determined. It is not that we want the
government to just go ahead and give us money. We want a thorough
investigation, then we will see how things will be done and what mechanism
will be set up. We do not yet know how it will be done. But the fact remains
that it is important that the compensation should be linked to the other
eight points in order for the negotiations to be resumed. [End of recording]
Source: Radio Metropole, Port-au-Prince, in French 1145 gmt 13 May 02
/¸ BBC Monitoring