Last week Jean Bertrand Aristide’s American lawyer, Ira Kurzban, confirmed that Haiti had issued his client a diplomatic passport, effectively ending the deposed leader’s exile from this country. (here’s a dated article) He’s probably not coming this week, but it’s pretty much an inevitability that he will be back in Haiti soon.
It’s a tough situation for a country that is already struggling to stay afloat. While Aristide has every right to come back to Haiti, it’s hard to see his return as a good thing. I’m all for democracy, and abiding by the will of the people, but his return will no doubt bring widespread unrest among his supporters. Aristide’s party, Fanmi Lavalas, was barred from participating in the elections, which was a ridiculous decision made by a president trying to keep his party in power, but where do you go from here? Will the people rise up against the current regime (old or new), and attempt to put him back into power? That doesn’t seem ideal…
The elections have been conducted (legitimately or not), and now the country is left at a cross-roads. It can move on from here, or continue to look into the past. Many of the Haitians that I’ve spoken with don’t necessarily want Aristide to be president again, but feel slighted that he was forced to leave the country when such a large percentage of the population had elected him as president. But bottom line, he’s coming back, so make sure you have your water stocked, and your Ramen noodles ready!
This is ridiculous to me…Why should he be allowed to come back, this is just another stunt that Rene Preval is trying to pull so all the commotion of him being exiled could be delayed. So he really thinks by bringing in all the exiled Presidents will give him reason to not be put on trial or exiled.
I know the return of Aristide will cause nothing but mayhem in Haiti, the country does not need to be disrupted anymore than it already has for the past year..What is Aristide actually coming back for? What are his intentions? Why now? Plus everyone knows that the Duvlaier and Aristide regimes do not get along, so this is a terrible idea to allow him to come back to Haiti now.
Preval needs to be removed and it needs to happen ASAP, he has done nothing for the country of Haiti, I would of thought after the country was devastated by the earthquake he would of once proved he was competent enough to be the President, but once again he has failed and now his time is up, May is beyond to long and he needs to go NOW!!!
The problem is not that Aristide is coming back; it is that he was sent into exile to begin with. If he was guilty of a crime, he should have been impeached.
The politics of personality (eg. I want this guy in and that guy out NOW) must end in Haiti and respect for process (the rule of law) must begin. The Haitian constitution does not allow for a Haitian citizen to be sent into exile. Regardless of my personal feelings about Duvalier’s return, it was his right. Now, he must face charges for his crimes. If there are those who accuse Aristide of crimes, let them press charges, too. Ultimately, he has about as much right to return to his country as anyone else.