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HAITI''S VIABILITY IN DOUBT, WITH OR WITHOUT REFORMS.

Article Excerpt
The regime of Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide was put on notice by the US ambassador that, unless the government enacts decisive reforms, the country's future will be even more bleak than its past (see NotiCen, 2002-11-07).

With demonstrations against the administration increasing and poverty deepening, the message from Washington is that new elections are the only way out. "If Haiti falls into its historical past of authoritarian government, misrule, and abuse of human rights, its future will be as somber as its past," said US Ambassador James Foley.

There is some doubt, though, if even an election would confer legitimacy on the government. Opposition groups have refused to participate in any election unless Aristide resigns and the government can guarantee security. Government spokesman Mario Dupuy said, "To hold free and democratic elections is a constitutional obligation. We want to hold them but we can't hold them alone."

Gonaives students protest against government

There is little sign that the government could, or would, provide security. The latest demonstration, on Dec. 8, saw hundreds of students building flaming tire barricades at intersections in Gonaives, on the West Coast. The students started the protest in front of their high school, demanding Aristide's resignation. Demonstrations of this kind have been staged with increasing frequency since the legislative elections of 2000, which were generally viewed as flawed.

Gonaives was once a stronghold of Aristide's Fanmi...

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