Did Baby Doc Duvalier Return to Haiti to Pressure Préval in the Election?

[EFerrari]

We speak to journalist Kim Ives, editor of Haiti Liberté, about former dictator Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier’s return to Haiti. Ives argues Duvalier’s presence will allow the U.S. and France to install their preferred candidate in a run-off election set for February against the wishes of President René Préval. The international community has threatened Préval with exile if he doesn’t comply with their interpretation of the disputed results of last November’s election. "Préval, after bowing to U.S. and French and Canadian dictates over the past decade of his presidencies, is now finding out that once he begins to resist a little bit or try to do something his way, that he’s going to be quickly dispensed with," says Ives.

snip

AMY GOODMAN: Why did he return, and how did he get back to Haiti?

KIM IVES: Well, we think that it had something to do with the present situation of the electoral standoff. The Organization of American States is ordering Préval to change the results of the election held on November 28th, which was a completely ridiculous election marred by terrible irregularities. Préval’s Provisional Electoral Council said that his official party candidate, Jude Célestin, came in second after Mirlande Manigat, a right-wing neo-Duvalierist, and that they would go—

AMY GOODMAN: She was the widow of another president of Haiti.

KIM IVES: Yeah, well, she’s the wife of a president—he hasn’t yet died, but Leslie Manigat, who was basically installed by the military in 1988 after an electoral bloodbath in 1987. So, the OAS came in and said, "No, no, no. That’s not the right result. The right result should be that Michel Martelly, known as "Sweet Micky," a pro-coup kompas musician, who came in a very close third, should be in the runoff. Préval is resisting this and has not responded to the OAS report and seems to question its methodology. So, we think that Duvalier’s arrival there is really an effort to pressure Préval and show him—in a way, rally the Duvalierist base, because he really is the symbol of that old guard that left power 25 years ago.

AMY GOODMAN: A lot of reports are saying that the international community has threatened Préval with exile himself if he doesn’t bow to the new results.

KIM IVES: Right. There apparently was even a meeting that the former OAS ambassador to Haiti, a fellow called Seitenfus, who has since been dismissed because of his frankness, made a—was in a meeting where they were actually discussing how to get a plane to ship Préval out. So, Préval, after bowing to U.S. and French and Canadian dictates over the past decade of his presidencies, is now finding out that once he begins to resist a little bit or try to do something his way, that he’s going to be quickly dispensed with.

http://www.democracynow.org/2011/1/19/did_baby_doc_duvalier_return_to

[leftstreet]

1. "yet, Aristide...the most popular political figure in Haiti, cannot return"

:grr:

Thanks for posting this. Very interesting

[EFerrari]

2. Kim Ives is a terrific reporter and analyst

of the kind we don't really have here any more.

[leftstreet]

3. I didn't know about the Wikileak / General Bacellar 'suicide'

VERY interesting

Yeah, she's doing a great job