AFP: Aristide Didn't Resign...

The New York Times posted a story by Tim Weiner and Lydia Polgreen that describes Aristide's exit as "fleeing by jet at dawn under heavy American guard."  http://nytimes.com/2004/02/29/international/americas/29WIRE-HAIT.html?hp
If Aristide did in fact leave at gun point, I can't help wondering about the authenticity of the statement alleged to be Aristide's, that was read by his Prime minister.  To put out a false statement from Aristide saying he's leaving for the good of the country would be remarkably similar to the false resignation announced in the failed Venezuelan coup.  

http://www.sunherald.com/mld/sunherald/8059886.htm
Susanna Nesmith wrote a puffish piece on "rebel" leader Guy Philippe for Knight Ridder.  He loves old movies and such.  Strange, but she doesn't bother to mention how Philippe was alleged to be involved in an earlier coup attempt.  But there is an interesting line if anyone still has doubt over what kind of people these "rebels" are:
"He said the man he most admires, however, is former Chilean dictator Gen. Augusto Pinochet, who was known for concentrating, not separating, power. "Pinochet made Chile what it is." No. 2 on his list is former U.S. President Ronald Reagan."

This morning's Boston Globe reports:

But questions lingered over whether Aristide left office voluntarily. Ira Kurzban, Aristide's Miami-based lawyer, said yesterday that the 50-year-old Haitian leader was "kidnapped" by US troops and taken forcibly from the National Palace. Kurzban said he was not able to contact Aristide and feared for his safety.

The Washington Post quoted US officials as saying that Aristide had left Port-au-Prince at 6:15 a.m., escorted by US security forces as he left the National Palace. A US government aircraft flew him to the neighboring island of Antigua, then to the Central African Republic and a final destination not yet determined, according to US officials. The New York Times reported today that South Africa had refused Aristide's request for asylum and that he would remain in the Central African Republic...

Still, to give y'all an idea of the pack mentality of the Commercial Media, the article began by claiming Aristide had "resigned."

Link:

http://www.boston.com/news/world/articles/2004/03/01/pressure_forces_aristide_out/

Newsday staff writer Ron Howell reminds:

"Roger Noriega has been dedicated to ousting Aristide for many, many years, and now he's in a singularly powerful position to accomplish it," Robert White, a former U.S. ambassador to El Salvador and Paraguay, said last week.

White, now president of the Center for International Policy, a think tank in Washington, said Noriega's ascent largely has been attributed to his ties to North Carolina Republican Jesse Helms, an arch-conservative foe of Aristide who had behind-the-scenes influence over policy toward Latin America and the Caribbean before retiring from the Senate two years ago.

"Helms didn't just dislike Aristide, Helms loathed Aristide because he saw in Aristide another Castro," said Larry Birns, director of the Washington-based Council on Hemispheric Affairs, which has been strongly critical of the Bush administration's policy on Haiti.

Working hand in hand with Noriega on Haiti has been National Security Council envoy Otto Reich, who, like Noriega, is ardently opposed to Cuban leader Fidel Castro, say analysts such as Birns. Washington diplomats have seen Aristide as a leftist who is often fierce in his denunciations of the business class and slow to make recommended changes such as privatizing state-run industries.

"On a day-to-day basis, Roger Noriega [has been] making policy, but with a very strong role played by Otto Reich," Birns said.

Reich is a controversial Cuban-American criticized by some who have lingering concerns about his contacts with opposition figures who plotted a short-lived coup against Venezuela's leftist president, Hugo Chávez, two years ago...

Link to the rest of the story:

http://www.nynewsday.com/news/nationworld/world/ny -wopol013691845mar01,0,4730210.story?coll=ny-world news-headlines

There were live reports coming from Amy Goodman Friday afternoon.  In a call with a journalist in Haiti, the man reported that US Marines helicopters were circling the capitol (4 of them).  Didn't they "decide" after Aristide "choose to leave"?  

There was also an exciting report that Venezuela had decided to send troops under the Rio Treaty and the OAS charter but alas it was just a rumor...

Selected quotes from Juan Tamayo's article in today's Miami Herald.  http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/nation/8074989.htm
"The Bush administration blocked a last-minute attempt by Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide to bolster his bodyguards -- mostly former U.S. Special Forces members -- fearing he wanted them to organize and lead a counterattack against the rebels who threatened his presidency, knowledgeable sources said Sunday."
And why should such a counterattack be feared by Washington?  Because it might have been succesful?  
"U.S. officials also forced a small group of extra bodyguards from the San Francisco-based Steele Foundation to delay their flight from the United States to Haiti from Sunday to today -- too late to help Aristide, said the sources, who are close to Aristide."
"The Steele Foundation, which despite its name is a private executive-protection firm, has long held the contract, approved by the U.S. State Department, to provide Aristide's personal security detail."
"Aristide's Steele guard rose from about 10 to about 60 in 2000 after an apparent coup attempt the previous December, according to Herald reports.  But it had dropped to around 20 to 25 as of recent weeks, the sources indicated."
"The sources said that after the Haitian government had recently contacted Steele to provide a large group of extra bodyguards, U.S. Embassy officials in the Haitian capital contacted Steele representatives and warned them off."
So, while Washington was publically throwing up its hands saying there was nothing it could do to defend the elected president of Haiti, the U.S. embassy was busy making sure that president couldn't defend himself.  

From Democracy Now!

Multiple sources that just spoke with Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide told Democracy Now! that Aristide says he was "kidnapped" and taken by force to the Central African Republic. Congressmember Maxine Waters said she received a call from Aristide at 9am EST. "He's surrounded by military. It's like he is in jail, he said. He says he was kidnapped," said Waters. She said he had been threatened by what he called US diplomats. According to Waters, the diplomats reportedly told the Haitian president that if he did not leave Haiti, paramilitary leader Guy Philippe would storm the palace and Aristide would be killed. According to Waters, Aristide was told by the US that they were withdrawing Aristide's US security.

The San José Mercury-News has a report by the Miami Herald up on its website now:

''The world must know it was a coup,'' Waters quoted Aristide as saying. ``That I was kidnapped. That I was forced out. That's what happened. I did not resign. I did not go willingly. I was forced to go.''

CNN International has White House press secretary on now, live, denying it in very unconvincing terms:

Helen Thomas: "Are you denying he was kidnapped?"

White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan: "I just said it was complete nonsense."

Well, then, Scott: Let's hear it from Aristide, then.

Ousted Haitian President Aristide claims he was 'kidnapped'
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/8078434 .htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

By Jim Defede, Carol Rosenberg and Martin Merzer

[Excerpts]

Ousted Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide claims he "did not resign" and was "kidnapped" by U.S. diplomatic and military officials, U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters told The Herald on Monday.

Waters, a Democrat from California and a long-time supporter of Aristide, said she spoke with the now former president of Haiti on Monday morning.

"The world must know it was a coup," Waters quoted Aristide as saying. "That I was kidnapped. That I was forced out. That's what happened. I did not resign. I did not go willingly. I was forced to go."

Aristide made no such claim during a brief public statement when he arrived in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic.

There were indications, however, that Aristide was misled about his destination. He reportedly asked to be taken to South Africa, but ended up instead in the Central African Republic.

Waters said Aristide was being held -- under guard by unspecified troops -- in that nation's Palace of the Renaissance.

"He feels like he is in jail," Waters said.

"I talked to him and Mildred for about 15 minutes. He was anxious to get the word out that he did not leave voluntarily, that he was kidnapped, that he was forced out," Waters said.

She quoted Aristide as saying that Luis G. Moreno, deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince, came to his home with other diplomats and with U.S. Marines.

"They told him he had to leave and leave now or he and many Haitians would be killed," Waters said.

Moreno could not immediatedly be reached for comment.

Waters said Aristide sounded ``angry, stressed, determined, really determined that people know he was kidnapped, that he did not go willingly, that he was forced out.''

"He did not say he was abused," she said. 'I specifically asked him that, if he had been abused. He said, `No,' that they were very stern. He said he was ordered. He used that word, 'ordered.' And 'forced.' And 'kidnapped.' Those are the words that he used."

Herald staff writers Oscar Corral and Renato Perez contributed to this report.

© 2004 The Miami Herald and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.mercurynews.com

The administration's own press release quotes this supposed resignation letter, and this is the source of EVERY media report quoting it.  Well then, demand they release it to the press and get a handwriting analyst on that signature.  

Despite the usual weasely words by César Gaviria, the US-installed secretary general of the Organization of American States (OAS), the recent reports that Aristide did not resign, or perhaps did under gunpoint and threat, might well lead to a major rumble inside the OAS.

According to the OAS Democratic Charter, any member state (including Venezuela, Brazil, or any of many Caribbean islands) may "may request the immediate convocation of the Permanent Council to undertake a collective assessment of the situation and to take such decisions as it deems appropriate." (Source: Article 20 of the OAS Democratic Charter.)

Article 21 provides:

When the special session of the General Assembly determines that there has been an unconstitutional interruption of the democratic order of a member state, and that diplomatic initiatives have failed, the special session shall take the decision to suspend said member state from the exercise of its right to participate in the OAS by an affirmative vote of two thirds of the member states in accordance with the Charter of the OAS. The suspension shall take effect immediately.

So, unless Washington can produce Aristide - still incomunicado to the press corps - to confirm his supposed "resignation," or produce a resignation letter that passes signature analysis, the current regime in Haiti, despite all the hype, is blatantly illegal and may well be called into question in the coming days by other OAS member states.

Remember: the first time the member states rebuffed the United States was in December of 2002 regarding the second coup attempt in Venezuela.

Impacting...

even including the Guardian, who you might have figured knew better. Others comment that it was "to save blodshed".....recognize anything?

We got the same headlines when Shevradnadze was pushed out. Its like some Brechtian recording stuck in a loop.

First off, great instant coverage from all who've posted and used this site to track these developments.

As Al points out in his latest mailing, the violation of the Democratic Charter of the OAS is an egregrious breech of US agreed-upon international conduct.

We cannot let this rest, as a US citizen, I will not support anti-democratic principles by my government and cannot let myself to be led to silence, indifference or apathy.

Jeffrey Sachs, a Bolivian scholar at Columbia University, who often backs Washington in its initiatives in Latin America, says the Bush administration has gone too far this time with the removal of Haiti's elected president:

What should happen now is unlikely to pass. The United Nations should help restore Mr Aristide to power for his remaining two years in office, making clear that yesterday's events were an illegal power grab. Second, the US should call on the opposition, which is largely a US construct, to stop the violence immediately and unconditionally. Third, after years of literally starving the people of Haiti, the long-promised and long-frozen aid flows of Dollars 500m should start immediately. These steps would rescue a dying democracy and avert a possible bloodbath.

Sachs' position is a possible bellweather of what "moderate" OAS states may soon be saying, too.

He makes a compelling argument. Read all of it.

The organization known as CARICOM - for "Caribbean Community" of nations - has just denounced Aristide's "removal," according to this United Press International report:

KINGSTON, Jamaica, March 1 (UPI) -- The Caribbean Community federation denounced the "removal" of Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide and held an emergency meeting Monday in Jamaica.

A statement from the group known as CARICOM was issued by Jamaican Prime Minister P.J. Patterson, who said international pressure on Aristide to flee to the Central African Republic was "a dangerous precedent," the Jamaica Gleaner reported...

"We are bound to question whether his resignation was truly voluntary... The removal of President Aristide in these circumstances sets a dangerous precedent for democratically elected governments anywhere and everywhere, as it promotes the removal of duly elected persons from office by the power of rebel forces."

Patterson said CARICOM had a standing position that the removal of the constitutionally-elected president by unconstitutional means could not be supported by the group.

NOTE: Caribbean nations make up a significant bloc inside the Organization of American States. Not counting Haiti, these other nations count 12 of 34 member states.

Paging Lula, Hugo, and Nestor!

Vanessa Kerry, 26, sees what is really happening in Haiti:

"I believe this administration just helped overthrow, basically overthrow, a democratically-elected president," Vanessa Kerry, 26, said during a campaign stop at Stony Brook University of the ouster of Jean-Bertrand Aristide. "We basically, in our silence, allowed him to be deposed."

I bet on some level she understands that if this coup stands, the same could eventually happen to her pop.

Associated press reports:

Jean-Bertrand Aristide said in a telephone interview Monday that he was "forced to leave" Haiti by U.S. military forces who said they would "start shooting and killing" if he refused...

"Agents were telling me that if I don't leave they would start shooting and killing in a matter of time," Aristide said during the brief interview via speaker phone. He spoke with a thick Haitian accent and was interrupted at times by static.

When asked who the agents were, he responded: "White American, white military.

"They came at night. ... There were too many, I couldn't count them," he added.

Aristide told reporters that he signed documents relinquishing power out of fear that violence would erupt in Haiti if he didn't comply with the demands of "American security agents."

There you have it, in the man's own words.

Here's the transcript of http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/03/20 040301-4.html today's White House press briefing, dominated by the Haiti issue and emphatic denials that they removed Aristide by force.

White House press secretary Scott McClellan insisted repeatedly that the US had "helped" Aristide to escape safely (Aristide has since refuted that statement). Lots of interesting stuff in the transcript, including some slip ups in recounting the timeline of what allegedly happened last night that don't breed confidence that the White House is telling the truth at all.

But my favorite part of the press conference was about Venezuela...

Q In Ed's question about Haiti, he brought up Venezuela. The pro-Castro government of Hugo Chavez in Venezuela is coming under increasing pressure to agree that recall election or to resign. Chavez has complained of American meddling in internal Venezuelan affairs and has threatened to cut off oil to -- oil shipments to the United States. What is it that we are doing to -- that he is accusing us of? Are we doing any of these --

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, talking about democracy, there is a democratic constitutional process underway in Venezuela. And that's where the focus should be. The focus should remain on the efforts by the Venezuelan people to exercise their constitutional and democratic rights, and on the efforts to try to resolve the political polarization through a transparent and internationally monitored presidential recall referendum.

The Organization of American States, including the United States, is working in Venezuela to monitor those events. And that's where the focus should be.

Q It seems like the observers have kind of reached their limit now, and it's my understanding that they're going to leave.

MR. McCLELLAN: We continue to support the democratic constitutional process in Venezuela --

Q Are we going to help Hugo Chavez the same way that we helped Aristide?

MR. McCLELLAN: Different situations.

.

Yeah, right.

Associated Press is reporting...

UNITED NATIONS - The U.S. Congressional Black Caucus vowed Monday to get to the bottom of allegations that the United States engineered a coup against Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

Rep. Barbara Lee, a California Democrat, said she planned to raise the issue at a meeting Wednesday of the House International Relations Committee.

A delegation from the Black Caucus came to the United Nations to begin consultations on Haiti with U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, but their visit was consumed with questions surrounding Aristide's flight from Haiti in the early hours of Sunday morning...

And this...

Rep. Major Owens, another New York Democrat, said: "I'm very concerned that this was a terrorism takeover."

Maryland Democrat Elijah Cummings, who chairs the Black Caucus, said the 43 members will not allow the issue to die.

"As far as what has happened to president Aristide, we, members of Congress, will not stand around and watch a democracy being taken apart by our own country," he told reporters. "That concerns us greatly."

We'll see. They watched as their own democracy was taken apart just short mileage off the coast of Haiti... in Florida.

The night is proving to be a very interesting news cycle. The "Aristide didn't resign" meme was slow in gaining traction this morning...

First, AP headlined it "US Activist Says..." (ignoring the fact that two members of Congress said so)...

Second, White House denial...

Third, Rumsfeld denial but distancing himself, saying it was the State Department's operation...

Fourth, Powell denial...

Finally, we hear from Aristide himself, and the story has major legs... Let's see how the east coast dailies spin this in three hours...

Meanwhile, Aristide, a short time ago, spoke to CNN, and Reuters headlines the story:

Aristide claims U.S. staged coup

Read it very carefully.

This is explosive.

BBC: March 1 16:42 GMT

"Haiti's President Jean-Betrand Aristide resigned at the weekend in the face of protests and rebellion."

BBC: March 2, 01:25 GMT

"Haiti's exiled president Jean-Bertrand Aristide has accused the US of forcing him out of office in a "coup d'etat".

What a difference 9 hours makes. Maybe if you'd do the job correctly the first time. No correction issued by BBC.

It's major...

Aristide: But my mind is in Haiti, where they are killing people, burning houses ... And that's why I call it a real coup d'etat, a modern way to have modern kidnapping...

What is very clear is the fact that we have military surrounding the airport, the palace, my house. In the streets, we had some military maybe from other countries, I don't know, but I know for sure there were a lot of the American militaries with Haitians, well-armed ... And they told me in a clear and blunt way that thousands of people will get killed once they start...

I spent 20 hours in an American plane with military guys. And one ... baby, one year and a half old, whose father is an American agent, and the mother is Haitian. Not even this little baby has the right to get out ... when we had the first step -- the first stop. And when we have to go to the second one, they didn't want to tell me where they were going to meet with me. We didn't have one single phone call, no telephone was used, because they refused...

If they allow me, I will be very delighted to go to the United States whenever it's necessary or possible, meet people, tell the truth. ... They want to create confusion. And I want to tell the truth, not confusion...

Watch them block his visa now.

It is all very strange... Bush doesn't need this right now. What's in Haiti that the US wants? Much more than meets the eye...

...and isn't exactly screaming from America's front pages.

CNN has barely mentioned Haiti during their morning show, and when they did specifically said Aristide resigned. They tossed in a line at the end of the piece about Aristide denying it (I guess in the interest of 'objectivity') but didn't bother replaying any clips from their own interview with him.

From Reuters:

Duvalier Wants to Return to Haiti Soon

Duvalier said in a television interview aired late on Monday, a day after Aristide fled Haiti, that he had requested a diplomatic passport several weeks ago, although he does not plan to run for president.

Who wants a president when you can have a king?

The London Financial Times showed, yet again, their commitment to regional specialists that few dare carry in their March 1 article, "Don't fall for Washington's spin on Haiti."

Jeffrey Sachs writes:

"Bush's foreign policy team came into office intent on toppling Mr. Aristide, long reviled by powerful US conservatives...who obsessively saw him as another Fidel Castro..."

and more:

"The ease with which another Latin American demorcracy crumbled is stunning. What was the role of US intelligence agencies among the anti-Aristide rebels? ... These questions have not been asked."

There you have it.

Soldier of Fortune Guy Phillippe just declared himself the new boss of the Haitian military.

Flanked by other rebel leaders and senior officers of Haiti's police force, Philippe told a news conference: "I am the chief." Asked what he meant, he said, "the military chief."

...Human Rights Watch has said Philippe has a "dubious human rights record," pointing to executions of gang members committed by a deputy while he was police chief of Port-au-Prince's Delmas section.

What country trained this murderous, authoritarian, mercenary? You guessed it: The United States, for which he worked in Ecuador.

The Guardian attempts to answer the questioon why in this piece
http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,115 9809,00.html
"Cheney Says Aristide Had Worn Out Welcome" and vigrously denying any US Govt. involvement:
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topN ews&storyID=4480499

Ximphora has a very good analysis of why the coup:

I've been intending to write about the approaching coup in Haiti (excellent short background summary here, and excellent long one here), a coup which has been predicted for a while now, particularly in an excellent series of articles in the Black Commentator by Kevin Pina. Then I intended to write about the conspiracy angles of the coup, but these have already been covered by the mainstream American media (even Drudge covered it for a while, until someone probably told him to cool it), proving again how easy the Bush Administration makes conspiracy theory. It appears that the material advantages to the Bushites of stealing Haiti are few, except for some enticing sweat shop action, but there are three main non-economic purposes of the coup:

As a rehearsal for the second coup attempt in Venezuela;

To keep the leaders of the Caribbean and Central and South America on their toes and on their best behavior towards the United States, and discourage any opposition to neoliberal policies favored by the American leaders (and any interference in the CIA's drug trade); and

Just to show it could be done after the abject and embarrassing failure of the coup in Venezuela, much as Ronald Reagan's attack on Grenada was a failed attempt, after a sound thrashing by a group of peasants in Vietnam, to prove the United States still had a penis.

http://www.xymphora.blogspot.com/

Kevin Skerett takes apart the Canadian media's coverage of Haiti and takes on Canada's role in the Haiti coup.  
"The rationale for this shift, presumably, is the basic acceptance of the outrageously distorted picture of Haiti drawn by the Associated Press - the dominant source of Canadian news coverage, incorporated deeply into reporting from assigned correspondents such as the Globe's Paul Knox and Canwest's Sue Montgomery.  That picture, and the story underneath, is a cartoon of civil strife in a desperately poor country, confusing and unexplained political divisions, an "embattled" recalcitrant leader, and the supposedly "humanitarian" role of the international community - the US and Canada in particular."
It's an excellent piece, well worth reading the whole thing.  http://paulmartintime.ca/mediacoverage/000334.html

And, from the World Socialist Web Site:  "Reign of Terror Follows U.S. Coup in Haiti"  
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2004/mar2004/hait-m03
.shtml

From a Toronto Star report: http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pag
ename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&a
mp;cid=1078269013832&call_pageid=968332188854&
amp;col=968350060724
"And in the Central African Republic yesterday, government officials have asked the exiled Haitian leader to stop blaming the United States for his ouster as they work to get another country to take him.
Aristide, who resigned Sunday and flew to the Central African Republic on a flight arranged by the U.S. government, said American troops forced him to leave Haiti — a claim adamantly denied by U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell and other American officials.
His claim — made in interviews with the media, members of U.S. Congress and activists — created diplomatic worries for his host country, where he is staying in the official residence of President François Bozize.
"The authorities have already called on Aristide to remain calm, to stop making accusations against America," Foreign Minister Charles Wenezoui said.
"We fear that this kind of declaration compromises relations between the Central African Republic and the United States.""
Well, of course.  When the U.S. Embassy tells you "You better get Aristide to shut up, or else," you might get that impression.  Considering the vast array of administration officials that were summoned to deny Aristide's statements, it should be obvious that Washington considers this enough of a priority to bully the Central African Republic over it.  

AP story on the developments of the Haiti coup:
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&ci d=589&e=1&u=/ap/20040303/ap_on_re_la_am_ca /haiti_s_memorable_weekend
The headline states Aristides sends mixed messages, but the article states thet the mixed messages comes from the Bush administration. Aristides has been consistent in denouncing the US actions as a coup.

...appears at the Flogging the Simian blog, titled "Everything I Know about Haiti" by someone named Soj.

It's really well put together. I recommend it strongly to anyone wanting to understand the situation there.

House Democrats and members of the Congressional Black Caucus raised some interesting questions about the coup in Haiti today in a hearing before the International Relations Subcommittee. The hearing was broadcast on C-SPAN2.

A few highlights of the questions addressed to hearing witness Roger Noriega, assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere Affairs:

Rep. Don Payne, D-N.J., asked  Noriega if the Dominican Republic was experiencing any type of unrest that would explain why the United States recently shipped some 35,000 weapons to the tiny nation that shares the same island with Haiti.

Payne followed up by asking how the thugs who rose up against the elected government in Haiti managed to gain access to high-powered weapons like M-16s and RPGs.

Noriega replied by saying he didn't know anything about it.

Rep. Greg Meeks, D-N.Y., asked Noriega if he was aware that Guy Phillippe was trained in Ecuador by the U.S. military.

Again, Noriega claimed he was not aware of this.

Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., stated that the Bush administration has been in the process of trying to destabilize Haiti over the past three to four years to facilitate a coup to overthrow the democratically elected president of Haiti, Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

The Caribbean Community of nations, aka CARICOM, has issued a new statement in the aftermath of events in Haiti.

Here's the money quote:

"...the circumstances under which the President demitted office set a dangerous precedent for democratically elected governments everywhere as it promotes the unconstitutional removal of duly elected persons from office...

Here's the whole thing...

Press release 22/2004
(3 March 2004)

STATEMENT ISSUED BY CARICOM HEADS OF GOVERNMENT AT THE CONCLUSION OF AN EMERGENCY SESSION ON THE SITUATION IN HAITI, 2-3 MARCH 2004, KINGSTON, JAMAICA

CARICOM Heads of Government met on 2 and 3 March 2004 in Kingston, Jamaica, in an emergency session to consider the situation in Haiti.

The Heads of Government expressed dismay and alarm over the events leading to the departure from office by President Aristide and the ongoing political upheaval and violence in Haiti. They called for the immediate return to democratic rule and respect for the Constitution of Haiti.

The Heads of Government recalled that the CARICOM Prior Action Plan had been developed with the full involvement of the United States, Canada, the OAS and the European Union and fully endorsed by the international community. This initiative was guided by the need to preserve the rule of law and predicated on the precepts of shared government, binding both President Aristide and the legitimate opposition to specific commitments, which would lead to a peaceful resolution of the political impasse respectful of the constitution, and promoting the democratic process.

Heads of Government were disappointed by the reluctance of the Security Council to take immediate action in response to appeals for assistance by the Government of Haiti.

On Sunday 29 February 2004, the Security Council adopted Resolution 1529 endorsing the deployment of a Multinational Interim Force to Haiti. This was what CARICOM had sought in the first place, but the decision was taken in circumstances quite different to those conceived in the CARICOM Plan since it followed immediately the departure from office of President Aristide.

They expressed the view that the circumstances under which the President demitted office set a dangerous precedent for democratically elected governments everywhere as it promotes the unconstitutional removal of duly elected persons from office.

Reaffirming the fundamental tenets of governance within the Caribbean Community based on the Charter of Civil Society, as well as the principles enshrined in the Quebec Declaration and the Inter-American Democratic Charter, Heads of Government stressed that these obligations must be used to determine the democratic nature of governance in Haiti. In this regard, no action should be taken to legitimize the rebel forces nor should they be included in any interim government. The Heads of Government also agreed that the issue of relations with the interim administration would be the subject of urgent review at the upcoming Inter-Sessional Meeting of the Conference.

Heads of Government were deeply perturbed at the contradictory reports surrounding the demission from office of the constitutionally elected President. These concerns were heightened by public assertions made by President Aristide that he had not demitted office voluntarily. Heads of Government called for an investigation under the auspices of the United Nations to clarify the circumstances leading to his relinquishing the Presidency.

When CARICOM agreed to admit Haiti as a member of the Community, it was based on its determination to end years of isolation and bring Haiti into the Caribbean family to which it belongs by geography, history and common ancestry. Heads of Government reiterated their commitment to the people of Haiti and their intention to remain constructively engaged in the efforts to create the conditions considered necessary for their long-term safety, well-being and progress.

That commitment was most recently demonstrated in the initiative the Caribbean Community launched in January this year, with international support, to help resolve the long-standing impasse, which has polarized the country.

In this regard, they stressed that the Community would continue to support the political, economic and social development of its Member State. Accordingly, Heads of Government mandated the CARICOM Secretary-General to establish a Task Force to coordinate CARICOM’s assistance to Haiti in those areas where it has the capacity. In keeping with the UN Resolution 1529, Heads of Government agreed to participate in the follow-on UN stabilisation force, in efforts to provide humanitarian assistance, the rebuilding of the economy and civil society, and the reconstitution of the democratic structures, processes and institutions of the country. In the prevailing circumstances, Heads of Government do not envisage their participation in the Multinational Interim Force authorized by the UN Security Council.

Heads of Government reiterated the importance of a return to constitutional democracy and expressed the wish to see the quick restoration of peace and stability in Haiti and the earliest return to constitutional democracy by working with the people of Haiti in a sustained effort to rebuild democratic institutions. They underlined that any approach to returning Haiti to a state of normalcy must include an economic and social development plan.

Heads of Government welcomed the appointment of a Special Advisor to the United Nations Secretary-General and committed themselves to working closely with him in these efforts. They stressed that creating the conditions for political stability, economic development and the institutional reconstruction of Haiti would require a long-term commitment on the part of the international community, including the International Financial Institutions.

Heads of Government continue to be concerned about the security situation in Haiti. They affirmed that the disarmament of illegally armed groups must be an urgent priority. There are continuing reports that the situation in Port-au-Prince is chaotic and, notwithstanding the presence of international military forces, respect for law and order is not in evidence. They deplored the loss of life, the destruction of private property and politically motivated attacks, including threats against members of the Government. They therefore called on the international forces to bring a stop to the lawlessness and reminded them of their legal obligation to do so.

Heads of Government deplored the present turmoil in Haiti leading to an outflow of Haitians, a situation which is placing strains on the resources of neighbouring states.

Heads of Government agreed to keep the evolving political situation under review with a view to determining further action in the interest of the Haitian people.

Kingston, Jamaica
3 March 2004