13308: Karshan: Highlights Sept 16 to 22, 2002 (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: MKarshan@aol.com

Michelle Karshan, Foreign Press Liaison
National Palace, Haiti
(011509) 228-2058
mkarshan@aol.com

CONCRETIZING DEMOCRACY

Highlights of Government of Haiti achievements
September 16-22, 2002

TWO POLITICAL PARTIES RECEIVE REPARATIONS FOR PROPERTY DAMAGE IN AFTERMATH OF
DECEMBER 17th ATTACK ON NATIONAL PALACE.
Reparations were disbursed to two opposition parties, ALLAH and KID, whose
offices were destroyed on December 17th as agreed to between the government
and the attorneys for the political parties each received reparations. Claims
of losses were filed, verified and assessed. This process is consistent with
commitments made and contained with OAS resolutions 806 and 822.  The
Secretary of State for Communications stated that, "The reparations process
is proceeding at a good pace and discussions are continuing with the lawyers
representing opposition parties for the continuation of the process."  The
government wants to provide reparations to all those injured or damaged on
that date, including police, bystanders, etc.  President Aristide, speaking
on the reparation process said, "Although we do not have the possibility of
satisfying all the victims 100 per cent once and for all, we shall do so
gradually."

SPEEDY PROSECUTION URGED. The Executive branch has asked the judicial
authorities to expeditiously advance the cases of those who are implicated in
the events of December 17th.  President Aristide explained, "I said several
times that there must be compensation for all victims and that there must be
sanctions for all culprits."

PRESIDENT ARISTIDE URGES DISARMAMENT BE APPLIED ACROSS THE BOARD.
Disarmament should not target popular areas or poor people, the President
said, but should be applied across the board, regardless of class or sector.

PRESIDENT ARISTIDE REITERATES COMMITMENT TO CREATING FAVORABLE CONDITIONS FOR
UPCOMING PARLIAMENTARY AND LOCAL ELECTIONS IN EARLY 2003.  Called for
cooperation of members of opposition and business sector and all sectors in
creating conditions for holding elections and for the creation of a new
electoral council.  Those parliamentarians who agreed to give up their seats
early in order to facilitate an end to the political impasse, explained that
they will do so at the time when newly elected parliamentarians will replace
them.  This is in order to prevent the President from having to rule by
decree.

MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS ADDRESSES 57th UNITED NATIONS' GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs called for an end to the economic sanctions
against Haiti and said the government of Haiti still considers holding
elections as an indispensable element to normalization.  The Minister stated
that the commitment of the OAS states, through their Resolution 822, is an
important step and he thanked the CARICOM countries for their support of this
resolution.  Haiti's Minister of Foreign Affairs was the CARICOM
representative at the General Assembly.

THE MINISTER OF ECONOMY & FINANCE PREPARES 2002-2003 BUDGET FOR RATIFICATION
BY PARLIAMENT.

BRIEFING ON NATIONAL PRODUCTION.  In a briefing to the press, the Minister of
Agriculture, who developed the government's strategic plan on agricultural
development, explained how despite recent decreases in national production
and gross domestic products, over the five year term of President Aristide
irrigation will be done on approx. forty-thousand hectares at the rate of
eight thousand hectares per year.  Attributing the delay to lack of funds and
resources because of the financial embargo on Haiti, the Minister reported
that five thousand six hundred hectares of land were irrigated last year but
only five hectares of land were irrigated this year thus far.  Despite
financial constraints, the government was successful at fighting diseases
attacking coconut trees and coffee plantations. The Minister also reported
that from October to June 2002, the Ministry of Agriculture set in place in
Fonds Parisien an irrigation system on an area of four hundred and
thirty-three hectares of land, from the bottom of Enfants Perdus (Lost
Children) Mountain to Etang Saumatre. In this system will be the building of
an underground network of primary, secondary and tertiary pipes. Other
projects scheduled to begin are the increase of irrigated areas in
Petit-Goave, the Artibonite and in the North, construction of water tanks and
dams in the Northwest, sowing of young fish in some ponds in the country,
application of a supervising program for farming associations, and the
execution of the potatoes sowing program in Savane Zombi.  Additionally, a
12-month campaign is being waged against the insect that is destroying
Hibiscus plants.

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE PARTICIPATES IN CONFERENCE OF COFFEE PRODUCERS.
Coffee producers discussed obstacles to production, coffee prices, increase
in coffee cooperatives, and the Minister of Agriculture talked about
consistent government efforts, including financing, to protect and reinforce
coffee production.  An institute for promotion of Haitian coffee to made up
of public and private sector will be created to define a coffee policy, study
constraints to coffee production, and raise awareness about ways to improve
the quality of Haiti's coffee.

SERIES ON PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION OPENS WITH SEMINAR ON STATISTICS AND GENDER
IN PUBLIC POLICY.  The Minister of Women's Affairs and Conditions explained
that the purpose of this seminar is to better "sensitize all of the society
on the problems of inequality in gender."  The Prime Minister, in his address
to the opening session, talked about the value of statistics arising from
this work in order to get a better picture of the true status of women in
Haitian society.  With these numbers in hand, the Minister pointed out, the
goal will be to facilitate the integration of women into society.  (President
Aristide has consistently promoted the involvement of women in public office
and has incorporated them largely in his government, both in his first
administration and the current one.)

PROSECUTION IN PIATRE MASSACRE GOES FORWARD.  Former General Proper Avril was
called before the court to testify as to his alleged complicity in this
massacre and the judge gave Avril's attorney a deadline in which to respond.


INSPECTOR GENERAL OF THE POLICE GETS TOUGH ON UNLAWFUL POLICE.  The chief
inspector general of the police, who is charged with investigating police,
stated that all police violating human rights, who have lack of discipline,
or are corrupt, will be severely sanctioned.  He also explained that behavior
in a police officer's personal life, such as domestic violence, is no longer
treated lightly as in the past with a 40 day suspension.  Today such behavior
now calls for automatic dismissal from the force.

NATIONAL LITERACY CAMPAIGN ALIVE AND WELL IN PROVINCES.  In Arcahaie, 300
literacy monitors were trained and will work in the 450 centers in this
commune.

REINFORCING HAITIAN-CUBAN COOPERATION. President Aristide received the Cuban
Ambassador and a representative from Cuba to evaluate the assistance of Cuban
doctors throughout Haiti and to discuss ways of strengthening Haitian-Cuban
cooperation in this area. There are Cuban doctors working in collaboration
with Haitian doctors and the Ministry of Health in 116 of the 565 communal
sections and have performed 35,000 surgical interventions.  The President
expressed the appreciation of the Haitian people who otherwise stand at a
national average of only 1.5 doctors per 11,000, with some rural areas where
access to a doctor has been nearly impossible.  Cuban professionals have also
contributed widely in other fields such as literacy, fishing, agricultural
development, and in providing medical school training to Haitian students.
The President used this opportunity to appeal for dialogue between the
residents of Haiti's State University Hospital and the hospital's
administration.

NATIONAL CURRICULUM FOR TEACHING YOUTH ABOUT HIV/AIDS DEVELOPED.  The
Ministry of Education, together with NGOs and the Ministry of Health, is
finalizing a national curriculum for teaching school children about HIV/AIDS.
 2,600 trained facilitators will be distributed throughout the country to
speak at schools.  Haiti reported that in 2001, 60,000 people between the
ages of 15-24 years were infected with HIV.

HAITI'S NATIONAL OFFICE ON MIGRATION reported that from January to June 2002
more than 5,000 Haitians were forcibly repatriated from the Dominican
Republic.

JUDGE COMPLETES INVESTIGATION INTO THE KILLING OF BRIGNOL LINDOR.  A Petit
Goave judge released his report on the status of the Brignol Lindor case but
in addition to those already detained the court is now awaiting the arrest of
additional persons implicated in this killing.

WOMEN'S MINISTRY WORKING HAND IN HAND WITH WOMEN'S PROJECT IN MILOT.  The
Ministry of Women is working with a local women's organization in Milot by
providing financing and equipment for a community pharmacy in the area.

===========================================================
For press releases and speeches in French, please visit the National Palace
website at http://www.palaisnational.org

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