Another blatant error

From a dialog on the Haiti list, January 2004

Haiti Police Break Up Funeral Procession

By Michael Norton, AP

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti—Firing warning shots and tear gas, police stopped mourners on Friday from approaching the presidential palace with the coffin of a protester killed during a demonstration against President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

Two people were slightly wounded by police fire, witnesses said.

The clashes occurred during the funeral of Maxime Deselmour, 33, shot during a Jan. 7 protest. As the funeral procession marched toward the National Palace, with mourners shouting Down with Aristide! police fired into the air and Aristide supporters hurled rocks.

Witnesses said Aristide supporters also fired shots as mourners fled past a government office, hitting one person in the arm and grazing another's head. Three were struck by stones.

Pressure has been building on Aristide's administration since his party swept 2000 legislative elections that observers said were flawed. Poverty has deepened and unrest has risen. In the past four months, at least 46 people have been killed in demonstrations.

Witnesses say Deselmour was killed when police and Aristide partisans were firing shots to intimidate protesters. The shooting was under investigation.

Maxime was committed to change, and he died fighting for it, said Bernard Leveque, 29, a student and close friend of Deselmour.

Opposition is mounting against Aristide's embattled administration. A movement made up of political parties, clergy, students and business leaders, refuses to participate in new elections unless Aristide resigns.

But it remains unclear whether any of the movement's leaders has the international backing and popular support to lead the country out of its deepening morass.

This week at a special Summit of the Americas in Mexico, Aristide said government representatives would meet in the Bahamas next week with the opposition and members of the 15-member Caribbean Community. He said international observers, including Canada, would monitor talks over setting up a nine-member electoral council to set a date for new elections.

So far, the opposition was refusing to talk to Aristide.

The opposition will not negotiate with Aristide but is ready to discuss with Caribbean Community leaders, said Serge Giles, an opposition leader.

Aristide is Haiti's first freely elected leader. He says he plans to serve out his term until 2006.

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It is gravely irresponsible for Mr. John Danies Craft to contend that Aristide's election, which occurred in November, 2000, was invalid or tainted by fraud in any manner. None of the international observers who where there found any unfairness, or, as Mr. John Danies Craft writes [above] that aristide stole with his bandits the election of 2000. He is therefore not democratically or freely elected. Au contraire, the most legitimate authorities, including the US State Department and the OAS, clearly reported Aristide's election was not marred by fraud and that he was duly and freely elected.

Thus, contrary to Mr. John Danies Crafts' allegations [above], now being disseminate on the internet, the journalist below, MICHAEL NORTON (who writes [above]) , did get, at least, the last fact noted-[above] correct. Norton wrote Aristide is Haiti's first freely elected leader. He says he plans to serve out his term until 2006. This is indisputable. For, there was never any allegations of impropriety whatsoever in Haiti's presidential election whatsoever even by the most anti-Aristide observers of that time. For Mr. Danies Craft to now say otherwise, almost four years later, is simply outrageous. It's a palpable LIE consistent with his other internet dissemination and clearly intended to further confuse the issues in Haiti, feed the media campaign of misinformation and continue Haiti's chaos, impasse and the obstruction and injustices caused by such blatant lies.

Ezili Danto

In a message dated 1/16/04 5:00:17 PM, Johndanies writes:

Contrary to what Michel Norton wrote at the end of his reportage: aristide stole with his bandits the election of 2000. He is therefore not democratically or freely elected. He has put ever since a juggernaut around the army with the help of his pal Clinton and around the country with the help of the same bandits that helped him stole the election. He is ready to re play the killing field as originated by his role model Pol Pot of Cambodia.

[Edited by JCD]

Ezilidanto responds it is irresponsible for Mr. John Danies Craft to contend that Aristide's election which occurred in November, 2000 was invalid or tainted in any manner. The international observers who where there including the OAS clearly reported Aristide's election was not marred by fraud or any allegations of impropriety whatsoever.

In any event, no responsible international organization or observers contended that Mr. Aristide's election which occurred in November, 2000 was invalid or tainted in any manner as John Danies Craft says above.