Haiti: Aristide admits the love affair is over

by shane ocurry - wsm - personal capacity Fri Mar 10, 2006 14:51

The piece makes it look as though Bazin had the endorsement of Fanmi Lavalas activists, when in fact all he was doing was using the party name. By all accounts Bazin was long seen as a maverick and a no-hoper. His apparent retrospective endoresement by Aristide, if what you write is true, may be a sign of how out of touch the exiled leader has become.

I don't know anything about Aristide's current circumstances, but Preval is seen as the 'progressive' candidate, drawing on the support of the poor, and behind whom the Fanmi Lavalas party machine and activists threw their weight. You just have to look at how Haiti's elite and international capital did their darndest to scupper the election result. See link for details

by iosaf Sat Mar 11, 2006 10:46

here are a few more :-
http://www.haitisupport.gn.apc.org/
http://www.haitiaction.net/
http://www.haitiprogres.com/

by the way as with many places allegations are made of "i-n-f-i-l-t-r-a-t-i-o-n" willy nilly, and the previous two organisations consistently accuse each other of being in the service of foreign powers.
That might be because Haiti is so terribly "fkd". It so "fkd" that even its military command structure feels the pressure, and the brazilian general Urano Bacellar, (head of the United Nations peacekeeping force) was found dead in his swimming pool this January 7th. There is no jury in Haiti, but if there had been it would still be out on whether it was stress related suicide or something more untoward. In fact Haiti is so terribly "fkd" that there are no insititutions of state worth talking about out side of foreign soldiers. No schools, no job, no hospitals, no roads, and as far as I can see the sodliers mostly stop the desperate trying to get out, either over the border to Dominican Republic or further afield by boat. ITs not only Haiti that is "fkd" all Haitians are "fkd" too.

the elections did not go without death. supporters on both sides being killed. Haiti is so terribly "fkd". There is a very wide range of states contributing army and police, and the accusations of torture and human rights abuses made against this UN umbrella are actually higher in Haiti than in Iraq.

Aristide is in political exile in South Africa since May 31 2004, there was a brief period between his ousting and that exile when it seemed he had simply disappeared, and some thought him dead. http://www.swissinfo.org/sen/swissinfo.html?siteSect=14...70381
Before the elections he attempted to make statements to the press, and was told diplomatically by the South Africans not to bother. They put it this way :- "you are a guest of the nation & state and if you check your documentations and the small print attached to same, you will note please we can house arrest you if you get uppity".


Here's what I wrote and culled from newswires in 2004 & 2005. I stopped covering the story, because noting the last line of the "beginner's guide" The price of raw cocaine base is unalterable
I soon realised that this is one place, i can't offer useful comment or analysis on.
Haiti "a beginners guide" started Feb 9th 2004 when the trouble started, its a link file to differing coverage, as the "ousting" or "coup" began, very very professionally.
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=63354
Aristide's statement on going into exile March 6th 2004 in which he played for the last time with skill the "Toussaint L'Ouverture" card.
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=63727
Haiti (revision and introduction to intermediate guide module 2005)
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=69911

by Haiti Information Project - HIP Sun Mar 12, 2006 17:11 hip at teledyol dot net

This is a disinformation piece that manufactures quotes purportedly made by Jean-Bertrand Aristide. He never made these statements attributed to him and quite the contrary, said that the Haitian people had elected Preval to pave the way for his return to Haiti. One of the most popular chants during the massive demonstrations to denounce the electoral fraud against Preval was, "Preval presidan, pou Aristide tourne!" , translated: "Preval is president for Aristide to return."

by an Mon Mar 13, 2006 11:57

So, was Bazin the Lavalas Family candidate or not? Or, to put it another way, why did Preval create a new vehicle to contest the election and not stand for the Lavalas Family party?

You guys at the Haiti 'Information' Project are unbelievable. Just like your master, Aristide, you denounced the elections, but then when the Haitian people ignored your instructions not to vote, you claim that a vote for Preval was a vote for Aristide - how twisted can you get?

by James .P - non Tue Mar 14, 2006 22:40 pijy82 at yahoo dot fr lalue,184...haiti-port-au-prince 509 2459722

jean bertrand aristide est le passe.........
il n'a plus de discours pour le peuple haitien..

by HIP - HIP Wed Mar 22, 2006 00:01 hip at teledyol dot net

Thanks for the compliment but the documentary footage doesn't lie. The most popular chant during the week was, "Preval prezidan, pou Aristide tourne!" We didn't make it up, you just choose to ignore it because it doesn't jibe with what you've bought about Aristide. We find that more incredible than not.

Nowhere does your diatribe address the fact that, again, this is disinformation and Aristide NEVER made those statements. As for the cheap shot, HIP is independent and has never received funding from Aristide. The comment is more a reflection of deparation with trying to keep this lie alive than a real concern with the truth. With this quality of dialogue we usually assume it will only escalate so this will most likely be our final contribution to this subject.

As for Bazin, no he didn't represent Lavalas and was part of a project led by Voltaire and others to create confusion before the vote. However, the Bazin candidacy unintentionally helped Preval as it made it more difficult to attack him by associating him with Lavalas and Aristide. Bazin's running as Lavalas and openly calling for Aristide's return made Preval actually seem more moderate and buffered him against the nascient attacks by the GNB intelligensia as evidenced by the rantings of Raoul Peck.

Now, as to who really is/was the Lespwa movement....just look at who ran and represented the campaign. If you know what's really been going in Haiti you will know who they are and the fact that they are the same leadership of the Lavalas movement in the popular neighborhoods. You would have had to have been in Haiti to understand how and why their position on the elections changed so quickly, exactly what factors were involved. But If you can't name these players and don't know who the leadership was/is, then you are a little out of your league in this dialogue. We suggest you wait and read a few of our upcoming articles, with photos, to find out.

We welcome respectful criticism or anyone with honest queries. Please feel free to write us directly for further clarification.

Best regards,

HIP Editorial Staff