[News] Haiti update and headlines

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AHP News - March 16, 2004 - English translation (Unofficial)


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A Populist Organization from the Convergence accuses Gerard Latortue of 
wishing to take the place of the provisional president and seeking to 
minimize the role of the political parties
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Port-au-Prince, March 16, 2004 -(AHP)- The leader of a populist 
organization of the Democratic Convergence, Alexis Clairius, was openly 
critical Tuesday of the new prime minister, Gérard Latortue, following Mr. 
Latortue's announcement that he was suspending diplomatic relations with 
Jamaica.

Latortue stated that he had taken this decision due to the fact that 
Jamaica had agreed to receive President Aristide who was compelled to leave 
Haiti on February 29 in circumstances that have been seen as troubling.

" This is a violation of the Haitian constitution", said  Alexis Clairius, 
arguing that no prime minister has the authority to make a decision to 
break off diplomatic relations, as that authority rests with the president 
of the Republic.

He said that Gérard Latortue wishes to turn the provisional 
president,Alexandre Boniface, into a puppet. .

The Populist Star leader also criticized the prime minister for wishing to 
ignore the political parties as he forms the new government.

Gérard Latortue is committing two serious errors right from the start, he 
said.

**The Jamaican authorities declared this Tuesday that for the time being 
they are not recognizing the new Haitian government led by Gérard Latortue.

Senior Jamaican officials have stated that the CARICOM Member States are 
scheduled to meet at the end of this month in Saint Kitts to decide whether 
or not to recognize the new Haitian government.

This decision comes 24 hours after Haitian prime minister designate Gérard 
Latortue decided to reconsider relations between Haiti and Jamaica in light 
of the hospitality offered by that country's leaders to President 
Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

Several sectors of the opposition political Platform have said they are 
extremely worried about the presence of  Mr. Aristide some 180 Kms from his 
country.

** The honorary Jamaican Consul, Robert Tippennahuer, a Haitian, presented 
his letter of resignation Monday to the Jamaican prime minister Percival 
Patterson.

In his letter, Mr. Tippenahuer indicated that Jamaica's acceptance of 
President Jean-Bertrand Aristide some hundreds of kilometers from his 
country represents in his view an insult to all Haitians.

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The home of the Radio Vision 2000 correspondent is attacked by machine gun 
fire in Petit-Goâve by armed partisans of the Convergence
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Port-au-Prince, March 16, 2004 -(AHP)- Armed partisans of the Democratic 
Convergence used machine guns to attack the residence Saturday of Radio 
Vision 2000's correspondent in Petit-Gôave, Elysée Sincère, following a 
sharp difference of opinion that broke out between two groups within the 
opposition over who wished to monopolize the visit to Petit-Goâve of Guy 
Philippe, the leader of the Front du Nord (Northern Front).

The attackers, members of known political parties, killed a dog and set 
fire to a vehicle during the attack, which was perpetrated after the murder 
of two of their own members by men under the authority of Guy Philippe, who 
mistakenly believed they were dealing with Lavalas activists.

The attackers are reported to be named Dady Ostiné, of the KID, ( 
Democratic Unity Convention) (KID), Marie Carmel de Ronceray of the MDN 
(Movement for National development) and individuals named  Anatel Nicolas 
and Roudolphe Louis.

  The incidents took place after members of the Northern Front led by Guy 
Philippe killed two people in Vialet shortly after their visit to 
Petit-Goâve, which was coordinated by the father of the radio 
correspondent, Montigène Sincère, another opposition representative in the 
city.

Montigène Sincère and members of his family are reportedly being criticized 
for having marginalized other opposition sectors during this visit.

Opposition leaders in the city of Faustin Soulouque sought to convey that 
the men of  Guy Philippe murdered two of their own activists because they 
imagined that they were dealing with Lavalas activists.

A member of the Convergence in Petit-Gôave, Jean Limongy, indicated that 
the group led by  Dady Ostiné and Marie Carmel de Ronceray had sought 
unsuccessfully to meet Guy Philippe to announce to him the presence of a 
group of young men who were providing security for the population but who 
were not Fanmi Lavalas partisans.

This meeting was not able to take place, he said, due to the maneuvers of 
the Sincère family.

  It was shortly after the death of the two activists that outraged members 
of the Democratic Convergence attacked the home of the Sincères where the 
Radio Vision 2000 correspondent is living.



AHP March 16, 2004 1:25 PM


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Condemnation of the acts committed against the family of the correspondent 
from  Radio Vision 2000
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Port-au-Prince, March 16, 2004 -(AHP)- Guyler C. Delva, Secretary General 
of the AJH (Association of Haitian Journalists) condemned Tuesday the armed 
attack perpetrated Saturday against the home of the correspondent for Radio 
Vision 2000, Elysée Sincère in Petit-Gôave by members of the Democratic 
Convergence.

Guy Delva called on the authorities to arrest the authors of these acts and 
bring them to justice.

Mr. Delva declared his concern about the conduct of the members of 
opposition political parties who last month again denounced armed attacks 
against the press and today are engaging in the same practices.

According to Guy Delva, the battle for freedom of the press is looking as 
though it will be long and difficult.

He took this opportunity to ask all journalists to keep their distance from 
political parties  associated with whatever authority in order to be in a 
position to retain their critical role and to carry out their work 
completely objectively.

The Association of Journalists of Mirebalais (AJM) also condemned the 
incidents in Petit-Goâve.

The AJM called for justice to be done and for compensation to Elysée Sincère.

For their parts, the leader of KID, Evans Paul, and the MDN representative 
in Petit-Gôave, Déus Jean François, announced the launch of an 
investigation to shed light on the incidents.

  According to Mr. Paul and Mr. Jean-François, measures will be adopted to 
avoid a repetition of such acts and sanctions will be taken against the 
people involved  if the investigations confirm the reports that are 
circulating.



  AHP March 16, 2004 1:50 PM


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The members of an organization belonging to the Convergence take control of 
the offices of the DGI and APN in  Saint-Marc
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Port-au-Prince, March 16, 2004 -(AHP)- Members RAMICOSM, a Saint-Marc based 
organization belonging to the Democratic Convergence, has taken control of 
the DGI (General Taxation Authority), the Téléco (Telephone Company) and 
the APN (national Port Authority) of that city.

RAMICOSM members carrying firearms and knives have sharply restricted 
access to these facilities.

Residents of  St-Marc have denounced the behavior of the men, who are 
committing, they say, exactly the same abuses against which they claimed to 
be fighting.

The Saint-Marc residents asked the authorities to focus quickly on this 
situation to enable the resumption of activities in these areas of 
administration of government.

In addition, the city of Gonaïves remains under the control of armed men 
led by the fugitive from justice  Jean Tatoune and Buteur Métayer, despite 
the presence in Haiti of a multinational force.



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