<html>
<body>
<font size=3><br><br>
</font><h5><b>AHP News - March 16, 2004 - English translation
(Unofficial)<br><br>
</b></h5><font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=2>------------------------------------------------------------------------<br><br>
</font><h5><b>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<br>
------------------------------------------------------------------------<br><br>
</b></h5><font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=2><b>Port-au-Prince,
March 16, 2004 -(AHP)-</b> 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.
<br><br>
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. <br><br>
" 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.<br><br>
He said that Gérard Latortue wishes to turn the provisional
president,Alexandre Boniface, into a puppet. .<br><br>
The Populist Star leader also criticized the prime minister for wishing
to ignore the political parties as he forms the new government.
<br><br>
Gérard Latortue is committing two serious errors right from the start, he
said. <br><br>
**The Jamaican authorities declared this Tuesday that for the time being
they are not recognizing the new Haitian government led by Gérard
Latortue.<br><br>
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. <br><br>
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.<br><br>
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. <br><br>
** The honorary Jamaican Consul, Robert Tippennahuer, a Haitian,
presented his letter of resignation Monday to the Jamaican prime minister
Percival Patterson.<br><br>
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. <br><br>
------------------------------------------------------------------------<br><br>
</font><h5><b>The home of the Radio Vision 2000 correspondent is attacked
by machine gun fire in Petit-Goâve by armed partisans of the Convergence
<br>
------------------------------------------------------------------------<br><br>
</b></h5><font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=2><b>Port-au-Prince,
March 16, 2004 -(AHP)-</b> 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).<br><br>
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.<br><br>
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.<br><br>
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. <br><br>
Montigène Sincère and members of his family are reportedly being
criticized for having marginalized other opposition sectors during this
visit. <br><br>
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. <br><br>
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. <br><br>
This meeting was not able to take place, he said, due to the maneuvers of
the Sincère family.<br><br>
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.<br><br>
<br>
</font><h5><b>AHP March 16, 2004 1:25 PM<br><br>
</b></h5><font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=2>------------------------------------------------------------------------<br><br>
</font><h5><b>Condemnation of the acts committed against the family of
the correspondent from Radio Vision 2000 <br>
------------------------------------------------------------------------<br><br>
</b></h5><font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=2><b>Port-au-Prince,
March 16, 2004 -(AHP)-</b> 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.<br><br>
Guy Delva called on the authorities to arrest the authors of these acts
and bring them to justice. <br><br>
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.
<br><br>
According to Guy Delva, the battle for freedom of the press is looking as
though it will be long and difficult. <br><br>
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. <br><br>
The Association of Journalists of Mirebalais (AJM) also condemned the
incidents in Petit-Goâve.<br><br>
The AJM called for justice to be done and for compensation to Elysée
Sincère.<br><br>
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. <br><br>
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. <br><br>
<br>
</font><h5><b> AHP March 16, 2004 1:50 PM<br><br>
</b></h5><font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=2>------------------------------------------------------------------------<br><br>
</font><h5><b>The members of an organization belonging to the Convergence
take control of the offices of the DGI and APN in Saint-Marc <br>
------------------------------------------------------------------------<br><br>
</b></h5><font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=2><b>Port-au-Prince,
March 16, 2004 -(AHP)-</b> 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. <br><br>
RAMICOSM members carrying firearms and knives have sharply restricted
access to these facilities. <br><br>
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. <br><br>
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. <br><br>
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. <br><br>
<br><br>
</font><font size=3 color="#FF0000">The Freedom Archives<br>
522 Valencia Street<br>
San Francisco, CA 94110<br>
(415) 863-9977<br>
</font><font size=3><a href="http://www.freedomarchives.org/" eudora="autourl">www.freedomarchives.org</a></font></body>
</html>