Politics in Haiti
DeNeen L. Brown
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, February 10, 2004; 11:00 a.m. ET
The political and economic situation in Haiti, one of the Western
Hemisphere's poorest coutnries, has degenerated into violence in recent
weeks. On Monday, as many as 40 people died during political battles as
unrest spread to nine cities in Haiti. Opponents of Aristide are demanding
his resignation. At the same time, Haitians struggle with the most basic
needs such as water.
Washington Post foreign correspondent DeNeen L. Brown will be
online Tuesday, Feb. 10, at 11 a.m. ET to discuss the issues facing
Haitians as they grapple with poor development and an increasingly dire
political situation.
Submit your questions and comments before or during the discussion.
Brown, The Post's correspondent in Toronto, joined the newspaper in
1986 and has covered education and news in Virginia, The District and
Maryland, and was a reporter for the Style section.
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washingtonpost.com:
DeNeen, thank you for joining us online. Can you tell us the most striking impression of the political situation in Haiti based on your recent trip?
DeNeen L. Brown: Thank you for the opportunity to join readers of The Washington Post on line. I must first say that Haiti is a beautiful country and so rich in culture despite the fact that so many Haitians lives in desperate poverty. While I was there, I reported from the streets during protests. I saw tires burned and protesters on both sides of the situation--pro-government supporters and anti-government supporters--hit by rocks and arrested. I interviewed President Aristide at the presidential palace, where he called for an end the violence and also said that he would not resign earlier than the end of his term, which ends 2006. My most striking impression was that the opposition to Aristide was mounting and that there appeared to be no immediate end to the political crisis. Since then rebels have seized some towns, but it appeared that the national police had been able to gain control again.
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Silver Spring, MD:
Even if the loans Haiti needs have their blocks removed, what guarantees has Aristide given that the resources and humanitarian concerns will be addressed? For years Haiti had received grants and international loans but little has changed in the nation.
DeNeen L. Brown: These are concerns expressed by the international community who say that as a result of these very concerns, aid is being sent to non-government organizations in Haiti. Aristide's opponents say that despite promises he made after he was elected, he has failed to improve education, health care and the government's infrastructure. Most Haitians are still living on just $1 a day. But government officials contend that after more than 100 years of corruption in Haiti, it will take more than 10 years to turn the economic situation around in the country.
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Gaithersburg MD:
What do we know about Andre Apaid the man who is on the feorefront of the revolt against Aristide? What are his connections especially in the US?
DeNeen L. Brown: While I was in Port-au-Prince, I interviewed Mr. Apaid at his home, which was guarded. Mr. Apaid is a U.S.-born business man, whose parents are Haitian. He is one of the richest men in Haiti and he said he runs a textile factory that produces t-shirts. Mr. Apaid said in the interview that he receives no support from the U.S. However another leader of the opposition Evans Paul, who is a former mayor of Port-au-Prince, said in an interview that he makes regular visits to Washington to speak with officials there. Mr. Paul denied the United States is backing the current opposition.
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washingtonpost.com:
Some readers wonder if any of the suspended aid woule even make it to the Haitians who need it or whether it would wind up in the pockets of corrupt government officials. How much of a problem is corruption in Haiti as it pertains to aid and development?
DeNeen L. Brown: Officials admit that corruption in Haiti is rampant and affects mostly every area of life for Haitians. They say it would take years if not decades to reverse the dee corruption in Haiti. It is unclear how aid would be distributed without being diverted.
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Fond des Blancs, Haiti:
I am a relief worker stationed in Fond des Blancs, Haiti (20 miles southwest of Grand-Goave) and I was wondering who your sources are for information pertaining to the ongoing conflict in Haiti.
DeNeen L. Brown: My sources...While I was in Port-au-Prince, I interviewed dozens of people on the street, in the government and in the opposition. I interviewed President Aristide, the director of justice, the leader of the Lavalas Party, and leaders of opposition groups. I dove into the protests and talked to the people who were on the streets about what their concerns where. Some said they wanted the President to resign immediately because they say his government is corrupt. Other protesters said they wanted Aristide to remain in office until his term is up in 2006.
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College Park, MD:
How much of the current problems and revolt can be traced to Aristide's leftish politics and the consequent lack of support and active opposition from Washington? Is this a US-supported coup like in Venezuela?
DeNeen L. Brown: Government officials believe the current uprising is supported by the same people who supported the coup d'etat in 1991, which led to Aristide's ouster. Prime Minister Yvon Neptune said on Sunday that he believed there are several branches of the opposition, those who are political and those who are violent. Neptune suggested that the two parts of the coup are communicating.
Several government sources suggested they believed the current opposition is receiving support in the international community. Although the United States helped restore Aristide to power in 1994, Haitian government officials say that because of some of Aristide's political positions and his criticism of the United States, he has not been a favorite of the U.S. administration.
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Fond des Blancs, Haiti:
Where is this conflict heading? Do you see a United Nations peacekeeping team coming here in the future? Is there any chance of United States military intervension?
DeNeen L. Brown: It was reported today that the United Nations may become involved in the situation soon, but the details were not outlined. The United States hasn't announced any plan of intervention.
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Washington, DC:
The opposition to President Aristide appears to be very diverse and not completely coherent. Our worry is that forcing President Aristide out of office midterm, either through demands or a coup, undermines efforts at democracy in Haiti. Rather, the opposition should be developing alternative candidates for parliamentary office and the Presidency. Why, do you think, that this is not their strategy? Why do they keep raising the bar every time that President Aristide agrees to a compromise?
--Bill Fletcher, Jr.
TransAfrica Forum
DeNeen L. Brown: Government officials and supporters say they think the opposition is trying to force Aristide to resign because Aristide still has support of a majority of the population-- among the poor and in the country side-- and could easily win if elections were held any time soon.
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Falls Church, VA:
I read your harrowing article this morning, and it's clear from your depiction that things in Haiti have deteriorated since my last trip there in 96. Not that Haiti could be described as a paradise then, but the infrastructure was rebounding and potable water was becoming more of a reality. My question is this: did you observe any American presence there? During the Clinton administration there was a great flood of loans and physical support from the US, and while I recognize the official reason for the sanctions, it's strange that we should invest such interest in nations on the other side of the world and neglect a neighbor in her most desperate hour.
DeNeen L. Brown: The international community contends that it is not neglecting Haiti, but simply choosing to send aid to the country through non-government agencies. In July, after Haiti paid millions of dollars in debt some of the international loans were released, but Haiti officials say they have not received the money yet.
A U.S. diplomat said recently that it was acknowledged that Haiti is a country with overwhelming problems, but the diplomat said: "For the international community to be able to help address these problems, it needs a partner in the government of Haiti committed to the rule of law."
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Suitland, Maryland:
I keep reading the same thing -- that Aristide has become something different from the pastor to the poor he had once been. I hear that many of his former allies inside Haiti and outside have become disaffected. Yet aside from some seemingly small irregularities in the last round of legislative elections, I haven't seen any discussion of concrete things that would seem to justify the cutoff of aid by all international donors and the opposition demand for his resignation before any negotiations take place. Is it that he has played politics with the street gangs? Is that really so intolerable? What's going on?
DeNeen L. Brown: Opponents say the president has done little to improve literacy, provide clean water and better health care. There are allegations the government is corrupt and that opponents have been silenced. There are reports some have been slain. In an earlier report by The Washington Post's Scott Wilson, Roger Noriega said Aristide's attempt at reform was "a complete failure due to the Haitian leader's inability and lack of willingness to move the country along a democratic path."
But some people in Haiti say what is really fueling the opposition, which is backed by much of the country's rich and mulatto elite, is anger that Aristide has attempted to raise taxes on the rich and increase minimum wage.
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washingtonpost.com:
Thank you DeNeen for joining us online.
DeNeen L. Brown:
Thanks for all the questions and your keen interest. Keep reading. The political situation in Haiti is a complex one. As the situation evolves, more answers may come to light.
Have a good day!
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