24813: Hermantin (news) Seek Truce Among Factions

[sak-pase@bimini.ws]

leonie hermantin <lhermantin@hotmail.com>

Seek Truce Among Factions
South Florida Sun-Sentinel Editorial Board
Posted April 18 2005


Those yearning to put Haiti on track toward social peace and economic 
prosperity face many challenges. It would help their cause if they 
incorporated the successful expatriate community in the United States in 
their efforts.

Haitian-Americans deserve respect and admiration for establishing thriving 
communites here and in other parts of the United States. Their hard-earned 
success is worthy of esteem, and should serve as an example to other 
immigrant communities in America.

Some of these Haitian immigrants served on Florida's Haiti Advisory Group, 
formed six months ago by Gov. Jeb Bush. The group, largely composed of 
Haitian-Americans, unveiled a 243-page report last week with two dozen 
recommendations.

The report offers a number of ways that Florida can assist Haiti's economic 
development efforts and provide technical help to that country's police and 
security forces. State officials should consider these ideas.

Recommendation No. 9 is probably the most ambitious. It calls on Florida to 
"sponsor and host" National Dialog and Reconciliation talks between Haitian 
political forces and parties.

More than a year after the violent ouster of President Jean-Bertrand 
Aristide, Haiti remains a bitterly divided country. The schisms continue to 
produce deadly clashes, which only fuel more dissension and confrontations.

Haiti's interim government, supported by the Bush administration and a 
United Nations peacekeeping force, is rightfully committed to holding 
national elections this fall. For that vote to succeed in electing 
legitimate, respected leaders, tranquility must replace chaos.

That's why a "truce" summit between Haiti's various factions could serve to 
ease tensions ahead of the vote. It would be quite an achievement for a 
Florida city to host that meeting. Problem is, Aristide supporters who feel 
their leader was the victim of a U.S.-orchestrated coup might quickly reject 
a summit in the state governed by President Bush's brother.

If a broad group of Haitian immigrants in the United States representing 
different points of view spearheaded that reconciliation effort, the result 
could be greater credibility and trust among the feuding parties. It's worth 
trying. If rejected, perhaps the summit could be held in a Caribbean 
country.

The Caribbean and the Sunshine State both have a lot riding on Haiti's 
future. A stable and prospering Haiti could be a solid economic partner. 
It's worth giving Florida's emerging Haitian-American community more of a 
role in that process.