{"id":123866,"date":"2021-02-12T08:25:21","date_gmt":"2021-02-12T12:25:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/?p=123866"},"modified":"2021-02-12T08:25:21","modified_gmt":"2021-02-12T12:25:21","slug":"commentary-haiti-on-the-edge-of-disaster-again","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/commentary-haiti-on-the-edge-of-disaster-again\/","title":{"rendered":"COMMENTARY: Haiti \u2013 on the edge of disaster again"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a><\/div>
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By Sir Ronald Sanders\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>

\"\"<\/a><\/div>\n

(The writer is Antigua and Barbuda\u2019s Ambassador to the United States and the Organization of American States.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0He is also a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies at the University of London and Massey College in the University of Toronto.\u00a0\u00a0The views expressed are entirely his own)\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

Haiti \u2013 a country to which all other countries that suffered slavery are deeply indebted \u2013 is once again in turmoil.<\/p>\n

Therefore, no Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country should stand aside, silently, while Haiti is sliding into further catastrophe, retarding its already impoverished economy and depriving the Haitian people of hope for an improved future.<\/p>\n

Of course, no country should interfere in the internal affairs of any other state.\u00a0\u00a0CARICOM has never done that.\u00a0\u00a0In the times, when the organization has played a role in resolving political, electoral, and constitutional issues in a CARICOM member-state, it has done so at the invitation of the Government and other political parties.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0This occurred most recently in Guyana, where CARICOM played a pivotal role in upholding democracy and ensuring the credible result of elections.<\/p>\n

Non-interference in the internal affairs of a state should not be construed as approval.\u00a0\u00a0And, when conditions reach the point of loss of lives, the least that friendly states should do is to offer to help to bring about peace and to assist in resolving the issues that are causing violence and destruction.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0While the Haitian government might not agree, the present circumstances of the country are crying out for remedial action.<\/p>\n

Hence, CARICOM was right, on February 11, to issue a public statement \u201cencouraging all parties to engage in meaningful dialogue in the interest of peace and stability\u201d and \u201cstrongly urging that action be taken to foster a safe environment, a return to normal life and the building of sustainable democratic institutions\u201d.<\/p>\n

Since October 2019, when President Jovenel\u00a0Mo\u00efse\u00a0postponed parliamentary and local elections, there has been no legislature in Haiti.\u00a0\u00a0The President has ruled the country by decree, contrary to its Constitution.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Even at the municipal level, when the terms of elected Mayors end, Mo\u00efse has appointed persons of his own choosing.<\/p>\n

Further, in the absence of a legislature which, under the Constitution, is required to approve appointments to independent institutions and law enforcement agencies, including the Police, President Mo\u00efse has unilaterally installed favoured persons.\u00a0\u00a0For over a year, these circumstances have infuriated opposition parties as would be expected, but they also caused alarm among human rights groups within the country and internationally.<\/p>\n

More recent events in Haiti, however, have attracted strong criticism of Mo\u00efse.\u00a0\u00a0The most compelling condemnation has come from seven members of the House of Representatives of the United States of America (U.S.).\u00a0\u00a0In early February, they wrote to the Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, demanding the departure of Mo\u00efse \u201cin accordance with the Haitian Constitution\u201d.<\/p>\n

For several months, the contention has been made by political and civil rights groups in Haiti, that in conformity with the Constitution, the President\u2019s term ended on February 7 \u2013 five years after the last elections in November 2016.\u00a0\u00a0He has contended that, notwithstanding the position stated in the Constitution about the life of the President\u2019s term, he is entitled to remain in office for another year, since he did not assume office until February 2017.<\/p>\n

In a situation in which a President\u2019s stewardship has brought peace, economic development and social progress, the Haitian society may have gone along with Mo\u00efse\u2019s view.\u00a0\u00a0Unfortunately, the situation on the ground in Haiti has been very different.\u00a0\u00a0Mo\u00efse was not a popularly elected President.\u00a0\u00a0The 2016 elections had a low turnout of voters.\u00a0\u00a0His actions, since then, especially his ruling by decree, weakened his approval still further.<\/p>\n

In this atmosphere, the country slipped into lawlessness \u2013 some of it allegedly engendered by Mo\u00efse\u2019s ruling party.\u00a0\u00a0Kidnappings and killings haunted rich and poor alike, and marauding gangs ruled districts driving fear into communities.\u00a0\u00a0Massacres occurred in neighbourhoods where opposition to Mo\u00efse is strong.<\/p>\n

All this led to street protests which the government met with an iron fist.\u00a0\u00a0In recent weeks, Police have fired live ammunition into crowds, killing and wounded people including two journalists, one of whom is in a critical condition.<\/p>\n

During this, on February 7, Mo\u00efse alleged that there was a plot to overthrow him.\u00a0\u00a0Police arrested and detained 23 persons, including a former presidential candidate, a high-ranking police inspector and a judge on the country\u2019s highest court.\u00a0\u00a0Additionally, Mosie, arbitrarily sent three judges of the Court of Justice on retirement.\u00a0\u00a0One of these judges was named jointly by the Opposition parties as the \u201cInterim President\u201d of Haiti \u2013 much as happened with Venezuela\u2019s Juan Guaid\u00f3.\u00a0\u00a0The U.S. Embassy in Haiti issued a statement questioning the merits of the action to unseat the judges.<\/p>\n

Several non-CARICOM countries, looking for a solution to the current problem, are doing what they usually do \u2013 focussing on Presidential elections to end the conflict.<\/p>\n

The problem is that there is no credible election machinery in Haiit, including no up-to-date and verifiable electoral list. What is more, Mo\u00efse appointed a Committee of his associates to make recommendations on institutional and political reform, including of the provisional electoral council (CEP) which administers elections.<\/p>\n

The much greater problem is that he plans to hold a referendum on April 25 on a draft constitution that his Committee has drafted.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Amongst other things, the draft constitution, will set the stage for Presidential and other elections.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The process has no credibility and no support from opposition political parties and civil rights groups and, therefore, will continue to rouse protests and crowd demonstrations.<\/p>\n

Haiti, including President Mo\u00efse, and all the other actors \u2013 political and civil \u2013 need the help of honest brokers and mediators to help create agreed conditions to remedy the institutional issues, including the election machinery.\u00a0\u00a0Without it, the situation is Haiti will worsen.<\/p>\n

No country or organisation can impose itself to assist Haiti.\u00a0\u00a0The Haitian players must invite such help.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Until they do so, all organisations, including CARICOM and the Organisation of American States should express their concerns and stand ready to be helpful to the people of Haiti who deserve the chance for a better life.<\/p>\n

Responses and previous commentaries:www.sirronaldsanders.com<\/a>\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Sir Ronald Sanders\u00a0 (The writer is Antigua and Barbuda\u2019s Ambassador to the United States and the Organization of American States.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0He is also a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies at the University of London and Massey College in the University of Toronto.\u00a0\u00a0The views expressed are entirely his own)\u00a0 Haiti \u2013 a country […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":120330,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[118,119,117,116,107,88,102,94,96,91,90,99,92,114,115,98,108,106,104,109,95,105,110,112,113,111,101,103,97],"class_list":["post-123866","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-268-antigua","tag-268-antigua-barbuda","tag-268-antigua-today","tag-268-today","tag-advertise-in-antigua","tag-antigua","tag-antigua-barbuda","tag-antigua-and-barbuda","tag-antigua-breaking-news","tag-antigua-caribbean","tag-antigua-crime","tag-antigua-economy-news","tag-antigua-news","tag-antigua-news-rooom","tag-antigua-observer","tag-antigua-politics","tag-antiguan-news","tag-barbuda","tag-barbuda-news","tag-barbudan-news","tag-breaking-news-antigua","tag-news","tag-news-antigua","tag-news-antigua-barbuda","tag-news-antigua-and-barbuda","tag-news-barbuda","tag-news-in-antigua","tag-news-in-barbuda","tag-tourism-news"],"yoast_head":"\nCOMMENTARY: Haiti \u2013 on the edge of disaster again - 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