02 May 2003
Haiti Must Act to End Political Crisis, U.S. OAS Official Says
(DeShazo urges Haitians to implement OAS Resolution 822) (1170)
A recent discouraging report from members of the Organization of
American States (OAS) and Caribbean Community (CARICOM) joint
delegation to Haiti makes it abundantly clear that "it is time for
Haiti to end the political crisis that has hindered the social and
economic development of the Haitian people since the flawed elections
of May 2000," says Ambassador Peter DeShazo, U.S. deputy permanent
representative to the OAS.
DeShazo, addressing the OAS Permanent Council Special Session on Haiti
April 30, told the council that Haitian leaders have not complied with
the commitments they agreed to under OAS Resolution 822, which
outlined specific steps that should be taken in order to revive the
democratic process in Haiti.
"During its March visit to Haiti, the OAS-CARICOM delegation delivered
a strong, unequivocal message that Resolution 822 is the only way out
of Haiti's political impasse," DeShazo said. "The delegation also made
clear to the opposition and civil society their obligation to
participate in the formation of an independent, neutral, and credible
Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) once the government had taken
those steps."
However, the delegation "found that the government of Haiti had not
taken certain essential steps, and had undertaken others in a way that
did not contribute to creation of a climate of security," he said. And
he noted that "the delegation also concluded that the opposition and
civil society had made no commitment to form the CEP once the
government took the concrete steps urged by the delegation."
The ambassador urged the Haitian government to take immediate action
to meet its obligations under Resolution 822, because Haiti's
democracy remains in peril until the impasse is addressed. "While the
political crisis continues, the people of Haiti continue to suffer
through social and economic distress," DeShazo added. He emphasized
that the United States, in the meantime, will continue to provide
humanitarian assistance to ordinary Haitians.
"We join with other representatives of the OAS/CARICOM delegation to
Haiti in reiterating that the democratic process under Resolution 822
must continue," he said. In conclusion, DeShazo expressed the hope
that by the time the OAS holds its General Assembly in June, "we will
be able to note that considerable progress has been made and that the
democratic process is again underway in Haiti through the formation of
an independent, neutral and credible CEP."
Following is the text of DeShazo's remarks, as prepared for delivery:
(begin text)
Statement by Ambassador Peter DeShazo
U.S. Deputy Permanent Representative to the OAS
Permanent Council Special Session on Haiti
Washington, D.C.
April 30, 2003
Mr. Chairman, the United States expresses its thanks to the Chair for
convening this important special session of the Permanent Council. Our
delegation offers its gratitude to the members of the OAS-CARICOM
delegation that visited Haiti March 19-20, whose work has done much to
advance the deliberations of this Council, and to the OAS Special
Mission for the informative report it submitted April 2. We note with
particular appreciation the presence with us today of the Honorable
Julian Hunte, Minister of External Affairs of St. Lucia, the Honorable
Fred Mitchell, Foreign Minister of the Bahamas, and Ambassador Sergio
Romero Cuevas, from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mexico. Their
contributions are most welcome.
Mr. Chairman, it is time for Haiti to end the political crisis that
has hindered the social and economic development of the Haitian people
since the flawed elections of May 2000.
During its March visit to Haiti, the OAS-CARICOM delegation delivered
a strong, unequivocal message that Resolution 822 is the only way out
of Haiti's political impasse. The delegation detailed clearly to the
Government of Haiti concrete steps it should take to fulfill the
commitments it undertook in Resolution 822, including arrest of Amiot
Metayer, professionalization of the police leadership in full
consultation with the OAS Special Mission, and implementation of
disarmament measures, among others.
The delegation also made clear to the opposition and civil society
their obligation to participate in the formation of an independent,
neutral, and credible Provisional Electoral Council once the
government had taken those steps. It emphasized that the international
community would not support efforts to remove President Aristide
through violent confrontation or any non-democratic means.
At its April 12 meeting in Miami, the delegation evaluated the
reactions to its March visit by both the Government and the opposition
and civil society. The delegation was united in its conclusions. It
found that the government of Haiti had not taken certain essential
steps, and had undertaken others in a way that did not contribute to
creation of a climate of security. The points made by the delegation
to the government in March remain valid and we call on the government
to act on them urgently.
The delegation also concluded that the opposition and civil society
had made no commitment to form the CEP once the government took the
concrete steps urged by the delegation. These points made by the
delegation also remain valid.
Mr. Chairman, the United States, along with all the members of the
OAS-CARICOM delegation, remains firmly committed to the democratic
process set out under Resolution 822. The continued engagement of the
international community is vital -- in the form of the OAS Special
Mission and ongoing efforts of the International Financial
Institutions to reach agreement with the government on normalizing
economic relations. Full support for the OAS Special Mission will be
critical in assisting the government to meet the terms of reference
that have been negotiated for disarmament, electoral security,
professional development of the Haitian National Police, and
elections.
While the political crisis continues, the people of Haiti continue to
suffer through social and economic distress. To help alleviate this
suffering, the United States has long provided humanitarian assistance
to the people of Haiti and remains committed to providing additional
humanitarian resources in the near future.
Mr. Chairman, the United States fully supports the various instruments
of the inter-American system designed to uphold democracy in the
hemisphere, including the Inter-American Democratic Charter. Positive,
concrete actions -- or the lack thereof -- on the part of the
government of Haiti, as well as the opposition and civil society, will
help member states determine which of those instruments to apply so as
to assist Haitians in resolving their political crisis. We join with
other representatives of the OAS/CARICOM delegation to Haiti in
reiterating that the democratic process under Resolution 822 must
continue. This is the clear path forward for all Haitians.
The United States hopes that when the member states of the OAS take up
the topic of "The Situation in Haiti" at the June General Assembly to
take appropriate decisions, we will be able to note that considerable
progress has been made and that the democratic process is again
underway in Haiti through the formation of an independent, neutral and
credible CEP.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
(end text)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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