9378: Aristide, Transparency, etc. (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Vilaire@aol.com

 As is often the case when discussing Haitian politics, people are quick
 to obfuscate the issues and fabricate false dichotomies witout careful
analysis. Folks, let's be clear about a few things:
 1. One can be the most zealous "Lavalassien" and still demand
transparency from the current Haitian government.
 2. It is grossly unfair, to characterize any person demanding
 accountability from the Haitian government as someone with sinister
 connections to the Convergence, IRI or any one of those anti-Aristide
forces.
 3. The world in Haiti is not one neatly dichotomized between Lavalas and
the Convergence.

Kathy Dorce writes:
 "What bothers me about the noble sounding transparency issue with regard
 to the Lavalas government, is that it is so one sided. I have never heard
 this argument against any other government or junta in Haiti before
this."

 Kathy I don't know if you realize it, but you actually hold Lavalas in
 much lower esteem than many of us who want, check that, EXPECT
 transparency from Lavalas. We never expected that from any "previous
 government or junta." And for good reason! They owed their power to
 machine guns. Not the ballot box. Our only concern and struggle were to
 get rid of them. We were not fighting to get transparency from these
 thugs. Are you suggesting that we adopt a similar attitude toward
 Lavalas?

 Is it not consistent with democratic ideals to expect accountability to
 the nation? Maybe it's my undying idealism, but I still believe in the
 potency and promise of "Justice, Participation, Transparency." That
 rallying cry mobilized me in 1990 and still does in 2001. 
 
Best, 
Marx-Vilaire