ON TALKS ABOUT HAITI IN JAMAICA

1st February 2004
Nassau International Airport VIP Lounge

I have just returned from what I consider to be another successful chapter in the ongoing efforts of Caricom to move the democratic process along in Haiti.  Yesterday Saturday 31st January, I met in Kingston, Jamaica along with the Prime Ministers of Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica and St. Lucia with President Jean Bertrand Aristide, the President of Haiti.  The purpose of the meeting was to convey to Mr. Aristide the views of the political Opposition in Haiti since our consultations with them in Nassau and in Haiti.  Yesterday’s meeting was more importantly an opportunity to determine what appropriate and necessary responses there would be from President Aristide and the Haitian government on the matters raised by the Opposition both in Haiti and in Nassau.

I am happy to report that in Kingston, President Aristide committed himself to a detailed plan of prior actions; that if implemented should set the stage for the peaceful resolution of the political crisis in Haiti.  We cannot yet declare victory but we can cautiously embrace this next step as a necessary one to get to where we need to go.

The key element in the plan of prior actions is for the international community to try to engage all sides in a dialogue that will lead to rules based demonstrations.  The Opposition complains that there is discrimination against them when they seek permission to demonstrate.  They further argue that the police do not provide adequate security.  President Aristide has committed himself to working with the international community to establish new rules.

The President has also committed himself to the release of detainees who are the subject of judicial release orders, and to the timely processing of those who are arrested, bringing them before the courts within 48 hours.  Those who the Opposition allege have been illegally or arbitrarily detained should be subject immediately to due process and where ordered to be released, should be released.

In Kingston, the President publicly committed to serving his term out to 7th February 2006 and not running again for office.  He also said publicly that his wife will not seek to run for office after him and that she has no interest in becoming President of Haiti.

There was a commitment by the Haitian President to disarm strong-arm groups, to publish the results of inquiries into attacks on the Opposition including the attacks on the University students on 5th December and the radio transmission towers in January of this year.  There is a commitment to professionalizing the police force and ensuring that it becomes a fair and politically neutral institution that serves all the Haitian people.

The President has further agreed to work in consultation with the Haitian Opposition to appoint a new Government, one that has broad based support in the country.

The key to the success of this plan of prior actions, and the reason for it, is to move the country toward elections.  It is only through elections that the questions of political power can be settled.   There must be security in place for elections.  There must be a Provisional Electoral Council.  To assist the President in this regard, he has agreed to the establishment of an advisory council that will act in the place of the Parliament, the mandate for most of its members having expired.

The President of Haiti has agreed to conform fully with the Charter of Civil Society of Caricom.

Caricom for its part and the observers from the international community including the United States, the European Union, and the Organization of American States, have all pledged to support Haiti’s efforts to get economic assistance.  The international community is pledged to remaining engaged in Haiti so as to move the process forward and bring an effective dialogue between the sides in Haiti.

The Bahamas has pledged with its Caricom allies and within the context of the OAS to continue to remain engaged.  The Foreign Minister of The Bahamas is to travel to Haiti as early as Tuesday of this week.  He heads a team including Assistant Secretary General of Caricom Colin Granderson, and a representative of the Government of Trinidad.  He will meet with the Opposition leaders in Haiti to discuss the results of the Kingston meeting.  In the short term there will be an increased presence in our embassy in Haiti to assist with this mission.

Thank you.