- Few people anywhere have suffered more for so long, yet
endure and keep struggling for change. For brief periods under Jean-Bertand
Aristide, they got it until a US-led February 29, 2004 coup d'etat forced
him into exile where he remains Haiti's symbolic leader - for his supporters,
still head of the Fanmi Lavalas (FL) party he founded in 1996 to reestablish
links between local Lavalas branches and its parliamentary representatives.
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- From then to now, nothing has been the same. UN paramilitaries
occupy the country. Washington effectively controls it. President Rene
Preval got a choice - go along or pay the price. He submitted knowing what
awaits him if he resists. Nonetheless, he's disappointed bitterly.
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- Haitians suffered dearly as a result, deeply impoverished,
at times starving, denied the most basic essentials, plagued by violence,
a brutal occupier, police repression, an odious and onerous debt, and exploitive
sweatshop conditions for those lucky enough to have a job in a country
plagued by unemployment and deprivation.
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- Elections, however, are regularly scheduled and held,
the latest for April 19 - democratic in name only, this time for Haiti's
senate. Here's the problem. On February 7, AP headlined: "Aristide
Allies, Ex-Rebel Barred from Haiti Vote." It refers to Haiti's Provisional
Election Council's (CEP) February 6 disqualification of Fanmi Lavalas candidates
on procedural grounds. At stake are 12 open seats in the 30-member body,
ones vacant since early last year after 2007 elections were postponed when
Preval dissolved the CEP because of infighting. Delays persisted after
food riots, a prime ministerial ouster, parliamentary wrangles, and last
summer's catastrophic hurricanes from which the country has yet to recover.
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- Radio Metropole reported that "at least 40 of the
105 (registered) candidates....were rejected" with CEP officials unavailable
for comment. Expecting protests, it barricaded its headquarters in anticipation.
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- On March 9, a Haitian judge ruled the CEP's action invalid
at the same time thousands of FL supporters demonstrated in Port-au-Prince
during Bill Clinton and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's visit. They
demanded reinstatement of FL candidates and reintegration of the party
overall, the one Haitians support overwhelmingly and want elected to serve
them.
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- A week earlier, FL sued the CEP for excluding its candidates
on grounds that their registration papers lacked Aristide's signature,
a first-time ever technicality. Judge Jean-Claude Douyon agreed in stating:
"The political rights of the Lavalas have been violated" and
ordered their "reintegration," provided "each individually
meets legal standards."
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- They had, and according to one of their lawyers, Camille
Leblanc: The CEP "had no justification for its arbitrary decision
of exclusion, since the Lavalas political organization had fulfilled all
the requirements to participate." At the time, it was unclear if CEP
would yield. Constitutionally, it's the "final arbiter" on all
election matters and in the past ignored court orders.
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- At the same time, huge crowds massed in front of the
National Palace awaiting a Clinton, Ban Ki-moon, Preval press conference.
They had signs, banners, and T-shirts displaying Aristide's image, and
from a sound truck asked Clinton to tell Obama that since the "kidnapping
of our president....(our) situation has only worsened." One demonstrator
told Haiti Liberte: "We are waiting for the soonest possible return
of the president....and if Lavalas is not part of the elections, free and
fair (ones) will not take place." In addition, Preval was denounced
as a traitor, and repeated chants were "Down with the MINUSTAH,"
the UN paramilitary occupiers.
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- Clinton and Ban Ki-moon were there for a purpose - to
bolster Washington's control, support the military occupation, encourage
local sweatshop industry, boost Rene Preval, keep him weak and subservient,
diffuse popular anger, put a friendly face on a repressive MINUSTAH, and
convince Haitians that jobs and aid are coming, repeatedly promised in
the past, then reneged on so Haitians expect nothing this time. It's why
they support Lavalas, denounce Preval, and demand Aristide's return.
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- On April 3, they were reminded again when Preval's Justice
Minister, Jean-Joseph Exume, fired Judge Douyon, accusing him of corruption
in an unrelated case in retribution and as an excuse to ignore his decision.
However, Douyon responded that Exume threatened him not to hear the case
saying that Haitian courts have no authority to overrule the CEP. As a
result, Preval's handpicked Council is "final arbiter," meaning
Lavalas is excluded and Haiti's democracy is an illusion.
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- Earlier, the coup-installed Latortue regime tried a similar
stunt to prevent Preval's 2006 election and almost succeeded. Only massive
street protests forced it's hand to let Preval's victory stand - a very
dubious one considering how impotent he's been ever since, enough to arouse
Haitians openly to denounce him with just cause.
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- Sham elections will be held on April 19, shamefully with
Preval's approval. Once again, Haitians will lose out. Their long overdue
rights will be denied, the result of Obama continuing the same hard line
policies as George Bush.
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- Stephen Lendman is a Research Associate of the Centre
for Research on Globalization. He lives in Chicago and can be reached at
lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.
-
- Also visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and
listen to The Global Research News Hour on RepublicBroadcasting.org Monday
- Friday at 10AM US Central time for cutting-edge discussions with distinguished
guests on world and national issues. All programs are archived for easy
listening.
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- http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=13139
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