The Politics of Dependence
Guy S. Antoine
Dec 9, 2001The level of discourse is raised to a fever pitch. The bogeyman, predictably, is the personality of Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Someone said that he is the worst criminal in the History of the World... quickly running out of superlatives. Did someone say that Aristide was a saint? I did not exactly hear this recently, but if I did, I would not be surprised either. And when all is said and done, we'll be exactly at the same point we were before all this hyperventilated rhetoric.
We should all let the Government of Haiti know that we are holding it accountable to these three principles which the original Lavalas movement has championed in receding memory: Justice, Transparence, Participation. We should not let our elected leaders forget that those were the three cornerstones upon which they founded a campaign, unprecedented in the annals of Haitian History, which brought them to power by popular demand. Though once in the seat of power, it becomes easier to forget the hopes that carried you there in the first place.
Today, there is a definite lack of transparence, which is the main reason why there is so much corruption within government ranks. Let's open up the books finally, for one and all to see. Let's root out corruption even if it is committed by a dear friend or relative. Zero tolerance! Do we have the courage to insist on that, even when we know on a personal level, people who partake in corruption???
Today, there is a definite lack of justice, which explains why impunity reigns and as always "l'enquête se poursuit". When caught, the worst offenders find their way to a life of luxury (though marked by nostalgia and restlessness) in the United States, the Dominican Republic and elsewhere, while those accused maybe of stealing something to eat languish in jail for several years without speedy access to a public defender and a quick resolution of often trivial matters. Our international relations have not helped us to establish a system of justice in Haiti and have even trivialized that pursuit in a so-called reform of our judicial system. The consultants got richer, we have got nothing to show for it. Ask the average Haitian in jail (so many of which one can no longer identify, let alone justify, why they are in there in the first place)... and he will surely let you know how this judicial reform is working.
Today, the voice of the Haitian people weighs less than the nurtured voices of unpopular political organizations made of alliance-shifting power-seeking individuals and the "International Community" (the richest nations of the Northern Hemisphere, a community which neatly disfranchises most of the actual nations of the world). The result is this interminable charade of negotiations, willed (seriously...) NOT by the winners, NOT by the losers and certainly NOT by the Haitian majority, but by self-appointed Friends, making a shambles of our politics to mirror an ideal which they have themselves rarely attained (though I am personally in awe of their amazing and seemingly instantaneous ability to smooth their post-electoral rhetoric to favor true collective interests.)
It is easily predictable that until President Aristide's term ends in February 2006, his administration will be mired still in negotiations to reverse electoral irregularities which occurred in May 2000. That we had a United States style Supreme Court making all continued discussions an academic exercise!
That today's highest priorities would be putting the country back on track to extricating itself out of its morass and the creation of an infrastructure paving the way to a better life for all law-abiding citizens, rich and poor!
Today's blatant disregard for the will of the majority of Haitian voters magnifies the disparity between a) the sympathy offered by the international community to the grievances of the few, regardless of technicalities - and - b) the deaf ear they lend to the urgent needs of the vast majority.
That we demand accountability from our government!
That we lend our support and mobilize around the principles of Justice, Transparence, and Participation!
That we NEVER let our elected representatives and public administrators forget WHY they have been entrusted with the keys of power!
That we abandon once and for all our nearly 200-year tradition of "OTE TOI QUE JE M'Y METTE" in favor of adherence to a constitutional order and a State of Law!
Is it too much to hope for?
Those who'd prefer a state of anarchy to reap the potential rewards of a coup d'etat will opt for continued political paralysis and continued servility to foreign aid, which is unlikely to materialize in any meaningful way. Isn't it time to break this infernal cycle?
When all is said and done, will we be further along the path of a national dialogue?
Guy S. Antoine
Windows on Haiti
Social Commentary