Aristede won a Democratic election and was chased out of office by thugs using weapons that cost more than your average Haitian's annual salary.
If Préval won this election (as is likely, because there will always be more poor folks than there are "elites") the unrest that chased Aristede into those American helicopters will look more shady than ever. And I suspect those well armed thugs would return.
Candidate of Haiti's Poor Leads in Early Tally With 61% of Vote
By GINGER THOMPSON
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, Feb. 9 — Unofficial electoral results that had been carried in by mules, trucks and helicopters from polling centers across the country appeared Thursday to give an early lead to René Préval, a former president considered a champion of the poor masses and a thorn in the side of the elite.
The Provisional Electoral Council announced Thursday night that Mr. Préval had won 61 percent of the 15 percent of the votes tabulated from the election Tuesday, including 67 percent of the votes counted so far in the department that includes Port-au-Prince.
While several of his opponents quietly began to move toward conceding, others cautioned that it was still too early to declare a winner, and the political hostilities that have kept this country near the brink of anarchy lingered in the air.
Heavily armed gang members who control some of the slums that are Mr. Préval's political strongholds have threatened violence if he is not declared the winner with more than 50 percent of the votes, thereby avoiding a runoff election. It was also from the slums that Mr. Préval's mentor, the former president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, drew his political strength.
A spokesman for Charles-Henry Baker, a wealthy factory owner considered the candidate of the tiny elite, said his campaign had begun preparing charges of fraud to try to stop Mr. Préval from winning power.
As Haiti, a country of 8.5 million people, braced for final results, which are not expected until this weekend, it was not easy to tell whether the nation was on the verge of its first real steps out of anarchy, or set to plunge into another cycle of political upheaval.
Ending the political fighting between the rich and the poor must be the first of a long list of priorities for its next president. And the question looming over Mr. Préval is whether a man whose previous term as president was overshadowed by Mr. Aristide, a polarizing political leader, is up to the task.
"Préval has to turn history upside down in Haiti," said Mark Schneider, of the International Crisis Group, a nonpartisan organization focusing on conflict resolution. "For decades, if not centuries, Haitian politics have been ruled by a take-no-prisoners mentality. The determination of the Haitian people to use the ballot to change their history became evident after the record turnout Tuesday. And if the early reports of a first round win turn out to be accurate, I would hope that René Préval knows that he cannot govern alone."
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Uh oh. He could be next on
Uh oh. He could be next on the US hit listt! Those poor people having the audacity to chose someone of their liking.
Preval is already on the hit
Preval is already on the hit list. When NPR's Michelle Wallace led off tonight's story on Haiti by saying that Preval's lead in the race has caused people to worry about Aristide's influence in Haiti then you know that things are going to run downhill. I was actually shocked to hear her utter those words because Aristide's influence is not the story except from the perspective of the Condi Rice, the Bush Administration and foreign policy veterans of the Clinton Administration.
Our news media is so terrible! If the BBC was covering this story some mention might be made of the role of Aristide, but more attention would be given to the fact that the deposed Aristide's protege, Preval, has apparently retained the confidence of the Haitian people. NPR is a disgrace. Public radio it ain't. I know some people who work at NPR in Washington and whenever I attempt to talk to them about this kind of slanted coverage all I get in response is some BS about how NPR's rating numbers are up. How long, how long will this bullshit go on?
I wish Rene Preval was a
I wish Rene Preval was a defender for poor Haitians, but it is obvious that he cut some kind of a deal with President Bush to get elected! He has already promised a Cabinet post to a Haitian-Texan millionaire friend of Bush, and has told the press that if Aristide returns he would be arrested to be tried for corruption > something that Condi Rice wants done! I worked in Haiti in 1983, when "Baby Doc" was in power, and years later I helped to advise Aristide, so I know Haiti well! Also it is being reported in the press that Preval has received financial support from some members of the Haitian elite, and the World Bank backs him too, which means something is very fishy about the election in Haiti!
Please don't feel offended
Please don't feel offended that I checked you. I do that with everyone untilI get familiar enough to jump toaccurate conclusions.
Reuters:
AP: (Google Cache Edition)
...and has told the press
...and has told the press that if Aristide returns he would be arrested to be tried for corruption > something that Condi Rice wants done!
I don't want to defend Preval because I know relatively little about him compared to what I know about Aristide. My understanding, however, is that Preval did not say that Aristide would be arrested if Aristide returned to Haiti. Preval said that Aristide could be arrested because he was facing charges under Haitian law. Preval has no authority at this point to have those charges dismissed.
Now we all know that those laws are a crock and the entire process under which Aristide was charged with any crimes was bogus. My sense is that Preval thinks so too but that he is wary about directly challenging these laws at this time because he prefers not to do anything that would cause further conflict in the country. Preval has an 800 pound gorilla to his north that is perfectly willing to use its resources to incite violent opposition to his presidency if he should be elected.
I am sure that there aspects of Preval's behavior that legitimately makes Jay Randal, me and lots of other folks nervous but I am reminded of something that my maternal grandmother used to tell her children: When you have your hand in the lion's mouth you have to move slowly.
Thanks P6! But justthing
Thanks P6! But justthing Those Haititans having the temerity to DEMOCRATICALLY ELECT someone of their liking. The nerve! Hey who knows, perhaps one day we, American Blacks, will be afforded a real opportunity to chose elective offiicals who really represent our interest. Check out Black Cmmentator this week for further clarification of my point.
"When you have your hand in
"When you have your hand in the lion's mouth you have to move slowly."
PT, that reminds me of one of my favorite African proverbs: "Once you have crossed the river you can be rude to the crocodile."
One of the reasons that I
One of the reasons that I loved the proverbs she used is that I really do believe that they came straight from the old country. Her people, including her father, were moved to Louisiana from the infamous Pierce Butler plantation off the coast of Georgia when they were purchased in 1857 in what the New York Times called the "largest slave auction ever held in the United States". Butler's descendants had driven the "business" into bankruptcy.
There were two more that I loved to hear her say: when one of my cousins would complain to her about someone having mistreated or betrayed them she would say that a cow always needs its tail more than one summer to swipe the flies from its face. In other words, that person is going to need you again long before you ever need them.
When she thought someone was not taking enough credit for something they had done or was speaking in a self-deprecating way about their accomplishments or how they were dressed, she would tell them that it's a mighty poor frog that won't praise its own pond.
Many, many years ago when I was reading Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart I ran across a similar proverb in the book that was used by one of the characters. Although the animal that was referred to was a lizard the meaning was the same. Blew me away.
The wisdom of our elderfolk
The wisdom of our elderfolk is a beautiful thing. And they managed to hand bits of it down to us often without attribution or acknowledgement of the source. What you found in Achebe's masterpiece was probably no mere accident.
What you found in Achebe's
What you found in Achebe's masterpiece was probably no mere accident.
There is an intense connection that exists between us no matter how long we have been away from the Motherland or how much some of us and some them want to deny that connection. It will always be there.