Port-au-Prince

January 30th, 2009

By: Wadner Pierre - HaitiAnalysis.com

What kinds of words do the Haitian people need to hear from President René Préval during these hard times? Do Haitians need the hopeful discourse of US president Barack Obama?

One would think that President Préval, a man with high level government experience dating back to the Aristide administration of 1991, would know how to address the Haitian people. Honesty need not crush hope, and false hope is useless. From the time of slavery Haiti has been plagued by commissions that do nothing for the people. The reason for their failure is simple. They exclude the people who know and care the most about Haiti. Any well intentioned leader must always bear this lesson in mind and ensure that it guides his actions and his words.

On January 1, 2009 in front of the cathedral of Gonaives, Préval gave a speech to the nation to open the year – something countless Haitian presidents (most of them illegitimate unfortunately) have done. Préval gave a mundane speech that highlighted road construction and “dialog”. When parliament opened on January 12, Preval pledged to continue with the “dialogue” that he thinks has brought peace to Haitians.

However, Senator Jean Hector Anacasis from “LESPWA (hope)”, the party of President Préval, announced something more significant. He said that in April a commission would be formed to review the Haitian constitution that would include “all sectors”. However, the Préval administration has already formed commissions that exclude the largest sectors – the peasants and the urban poor.

More than two weeks ago, SOPUDEP a non-profit organization fighting among the poor people in the commune of Petion-Ville, Port-au-Prince, Haiti. This organization is specialized in education fro the poor students in this commune. Since after the 2004 coup against the constitutional government of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, the director of SOPUDEP Mrs. Rae Dol has received threats from the authorities of the City Hall of Petion-Ville.

Mrs. Claire Ludy Parent

Claire Ludy Parent a former pro-popular movement in Haiti, she went to turn back against this moment just after the election may 2000 in which she was running for a second mandate as mayor of Petion-Ville, unfortunately, she lost face to Lavalas candidate to this post Mr. Sulley Guerrier who became mayor of Petion-Ville. Nobody can forget the protestations from the international community and the former lavalas opponents to Aristide. Mrs. Parent was one of them, whereas she became mayor for a second time of Petion-ville in the last election for the local authorities in 2006. She now wants to continue the policy of the former defacto mayor, which is the persecution of the people who are pro-popular movement and always stand for the respect of the rights that the poor people have and what they deserve.

In part 2 of my interview with Lovinsky Pierre-Antoine, now online at HaitiAction.net, Lovinsky talks about what he calls the "ongoing coup d'etat of 2004." He talks about the lack of services to help heal the scars of the thousands of victims of 2004. He speaks of the bureacracy and judiciary staffed by Latortue's people who ensure that the victims will not see justice. He points to how this problem ensures impunity for the perpetrators. He discusses the danger of a potential preparation of yet another coup d'etat by such initiatives as the creation of a parallel police force using the 800 former members of the dreaded Haitian Army who are now in the Haitian National Police.