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25803: Hermantin(News)The goal: Democracy (fwd)




From: leonie hermantin <lhermantin@hotmail.com>


-Miami Herald

Posted on Sat, Jul. 23, 2005



The goal: Democracy

BY GERARD LATORTUE


Nearly a year ago, Haiti and its international partners forged a new partnership aimed at leading the country to democratic elections while renewing efforts to put in place the institutions, practices and accountability to help the country begin its climb out of poverty onto a path of sustainable development.

On July 19-20, 2004, at a donor's conference in Washington, D.C., we presented our Interim Cooperation Framework to the international community. At that time, based on the needs identified in the ICF, donors pledged to commit $1.1 billion to Haiti and work in partnership with the interim government to help strengthen political and economic governance, revive economic activity, improve the delivery of basic services and pave the way for democratic elections this fall.

Progress on the way

To date, $400 million has been disbursed, 200 new schools have been constructed, 300 kilometers of rehabilitated and new roads built. We have distributed more than two million textbooks, and hundreds of thousands of people have been afforded access to clean water for the first time. Electricity services have been maintained both inside and outside Port-au-Prince, up from the two to three hours last year to an average of 10-12 hours a day in the capital. The health hazard of rotting garbage and dirty sewage in the streets has been dramatically reduced. Thousands of jobs have been created through rapid employment schemes in infrastructure, agriculture and development projects. Thousands of children have been immunized.

We also have worked hard to increase transparency in how public resources are used, established an anti-corruption unit that is now operational, and we are involving civil society in the preparation and monitoring of the government budget. On the security and electoral fronts, 2,300 new police officers have been recruited, and an ambitious electoral registration process has been launched.

But these are only small victories in a much larger battle that we must wage against poverty and destitution in Haiti. We must consolidate the gains in electricity coverage, create many thousands more jobs, build the roads that will link the capital with the potential breadbaskets of the Northeast and prepare our schools and children for the start of the next school year. Yet the sad fact remains that as we head closer toward elections in October and November, we are witnessing an increase in violence in parts of Port-au-Prince. Not only is the violence claiming the lives of far too many of our Haitian brothers and sisters, but it is disrupting our and donors' ability to deliver anti-poverty programs on the ground. This must end.

We must work more effectively with the police, concerned citizens and our friends from the United Nations to improve the security situation, protect human rights and make the streets of Port-au-Prince safe. We must bolster the U.N. peacekeeping mission, not just with promises but with more troops on the ground able and prepared to disarm the gangs and provide security for all Haitians. We must ensure that aid programs are not further hindered by violence in troubled neighborhoods.

Free and fair elections

In turn, we must increase social programs and create jobs to reduce the incentive for criminal activity. To do this requires endurance and political will. Above all, it requires the continued commitment of the international community to provide the financial and security assistance needed to get the job done.

As the new partnership between Haiti and the international community heads into a second year, we will not give in to intimidation from elements that seek to destabilize our country and rob our people of their hopes for the future. We must unite behind the goal of delivering free and fair elections in the fall. Now is the time when the resolve and resilience of the partnership between Haiti and the international community is more critical than ever if we are to prevail.

Gerard Latortue is prime minister of Haiti's interim government.






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