journal du 15- 22 may 2013 :hO 5/14/13 3:48 aM Page 11
Haïti-observateur
15- 22 may 2013
11
EDITORIAL Aristide has ambitions to regain power; he should first be held accountable for acts of his presidency
F
ormer President Jean-Bertrand Aristide has seized the occasion of his meeting with the judge investigating the case of the assassination of Jean Dominique to give a demonstration of his popularity, showing his intention to return to the National Palace. Such effrontery would not have been possible if the Haitian justice system were truly free to act and the Haitian society were functioning appropriately in respect to its duties to demand that he is held accountable for acts committed under his presidency. In addition to charges of embezzlement, abuse of power and a long list of other misdeeds recorded after the return from the first exile of the defrocked priest, a series of killings under his administration, in addition to that of Mr. Dominique, are awaiting proper handling or/and to be the subject of a judicial proceedings. Mr. Aristide, like Jean-Claude Duvalier, must be held responsible for criminal acts committed under his government; some of which may even be linked to the National Palace. Observing the Lavalas mobilization triggered by supporters of former President Aristide, obviously reacting to his beck and call, one can’t help but worry about a planned return to the reign of terror, intimidation and political assassinations which were commonplace under the administration of the Baron of Tabarre; especially those who long for a return to the Aristide era have, during this mobilization of May 8, signified their intention to work to renew the experience of the post-Aristide return from exile in Washington regime. Non-Lavalas people and the majority of Haitian families who have suffered the abuse of power or have been victims of violence in his administration can’t so soon forget that the whole country had fallen under the clutches of popular organizations which dictated what went on in the country, spreading terror and death throughout Haiti. To demonstrate their intent, zealous supporters of Aristide, during the march of May 8, manhandled a journalist from Radio-TV Guinen. This attack is far from being an isolated incident. It is part of the logic of intolerance of Jean-Bertrand Aristide of Haiti’s independent press, the first line of defense of democracy against dictatorship. The violence against journalist Henry Frantz Delight, in the exercise of his profession, refers to the act of verbal intimidation perpetrated in January 1991 by President-elect Aristide against journalist Rodrigue Louis, a reporter for Haiti-observateur, in the wake of the failed coup orchestrated by Dr. Roger Lafontant. By this gesture, Aristide made no secret of his intentions. Now, by assaulting Mr. Délice, May 8, 2012, the Lavalas people give an idea of what to expect if Aristide were to return to the National Palace. Clearly, the forces that helped build the Aristide myth and carry out the satanic mission of an apostle of evil who defrocked, have neither
renounced their idol, nor his evil ideals. For all we know, the former priest never made an act of contrition for the crimes he has sponsored or which have been committed in his name. He had never urged his supporters to refrain from violence when they unleashed against the Catholic Church, reducing to ashes the old cathedral and attacking the residence of the Apostolic Nuncio, in search of the late Bishop Wolff Ligondé, the Archbishop Port-au-Prince. They wanted to inflict upon the latter the punishment of the flaming necklace, known as “Father Lebrun.” Violating the diplomatic mission of the Vatican, the hordes of Lavalas faithful invaded the court and entered the house located in the heights of PétionVille, at Morne Calvaire, and badly wounded with machetes the Zairian secretary of the Nonciature. As for the nuncio himself, press reports indicated that he was seized by the invaders and exposed in his underwear while licentious women were made to parade before him. No personal and spontaneous intervention by Mr. Aristide then to call his supporters to order and compliance with the law, outside the exhortation of foreign diplomats asking him to control his flock. It was the first stammering of a terror campaign that would be launched against the country, and of which the death toll has never been objectively established. Those who want to remain neutral or who sink into silent in the face of the resurgence of the Lavalas only have to remember the long list of citizens murdered during the Aristide regimes, in addition to assassination attempts also recorded. We only need to mention the report prepared by former Senator Irvelt Chery, of which only a few cases are mentioned due to spatial constraints, just to get an idea. Indeed, under the heading of murder, the assassination in broad daylight of lawyer Mireille Durocher Bertin sponsored by Aristide’s Interior Minister Mondesir Beaubrun, who has entrusted the execution to the Moïse brothers stands out. The tracks of this crime were clearly drawn by the U.S. Army during their time as occupying forces. Two other crimes, which resemble the murder of Ms. Bertin, are worth noting: the summary execution of Pastor Antoine Leroy and Jacques Florival attributed to the Arbrouet brothers, also known Aristide’s henchmen involved in other crimes of this nature perpetrated during the administration of the defrocked priest. We can’t enumerate all the killings having occurred under Jean-Bertrand Aristide in the seven to eight year period of his terror campaign against the country. Suffice it to recall a few: Eugène Baillergeau Jr., Congressman Jean Hubert Feuillé, Michel Gonzalez, policewoman Marie Christine Jeune, Joseph Benson, Eddy Arbrouet, General Titi (as he is known,) General Covington (also as he is known ,) Gary Obas, the driver of
Senator Méhu Garççon, CongressAgronomist Dieugrand Jeanman Emilio Passe, Emmanuel Ar- Baptiste. brouet, Inspector of Police Berthony Financial scandals and repeated Bazile, Rev. Father Jean Pierre-Louis accusations of misappropriation of (Pè Ti-Jan), Police Inspector Ricelin public funds and other robberies of Dornéus killed in Mirebalais, Dr. this nature are legion. They will be the Jimmy Lalanne, Senator Jean Yvon subject of a separate analysis in a fuToussaint, Colonel Jean Lamy, the ture edition. Versailles brothers, Michel-Angel The beneficiaries of political and Philistin (nicknamed Ti-Bora,) Ms. financial gangster-ism installed in Jean Coulanges, etc. Haiti under the administration of Mr. On the subject of assassination at- Aristide are eager to reconnect with tempts in which the victims were not the shameful past of our history. But killed, we mention the names of Ma- lovers of freedom, democracy and the rie-Claude Préval Calvin (sister of rule of law need to bind together in former President René Préval), Con- fighting as one man to bar the way to gressman Jean Gabriel Fortuné, Sena- a return to power of Lavalas. tor Méhu Garççon Dr. Carrénard, Until the court rules on all these Senator Edgard Leblanc jr, Professor misdeeds, former President Aristide Sauveur Pierre Étienne, Pierre Les- has the obligation to state his position pérance, Director of the National on the acts of his administration. Just Coalition for the Rights of Haitian as he had led a relentless war against Refugees (NCHR) and member of the Jean-Claude Duvalier and the coup Platform of Haitian Human Rights leaders who were prosecuted for organizations, Carmel Moïse Bley, “financial crimes” and “massacres of editor of the Carribbean Network Ma- innocent citizens.” gazine, and HaïtiObservateur P.O. Box 356237 Briarwood, NY 11435-6235 Tél. (718) 8122820