Home »

Haitians backing one of their own for North Miami mayor

North Miami Councilman Jacques Despinosse believes this is the year the local Haitian community will band together to increase its political clout, two years after political divisions in Haiti spilled over into his city's elections.

Those divisions, which may have cost Haitians their majority on the North Miami City Council, have been erased, and the results from North Miami Beach's election Tuesday have been encouraging, Despinosse says.

He points to Frantz Pierre's victory Tuesday over incumbent North Miami Beach Councilman David Templer as proof that Haitians can support their own at the polls.

''There is momentum in the community because of Pierre's win. That's very encouraging,'' Despinosse said.

With Pierre's victory, 10 Haitian elected officials now serve in the Florida Legislature and Miami-Dade municipalities. Another Haitian politician, North Miami Beach Councilman John Patrick Julien, won the primary but faces a runoff May 15 with developer Gary Goldman.

The biggest test of Haitian voters' clout is yet to come. On Tuesday, North Miami voters will choose a mayor. Jean Monestime, a Haitian businessman who served on the City Council from 2002 to 2005, is trying to unseat Mayor Kevin Burns.

It will be a challenge. Monestime calls himself the underdog in the race. Burns touts building four new schools and updating the city's parks master plan and comprehensive plan in the past two years, while Monestime has accused him of overstepping his role as mayor and alienating the city's police chief.

North Miami, with a population of 60,036 according to the 2000 census, is home to 18,656 Haitians, the most of any city in the county. It became the seat of Haitian political power in 2001 when Josaphat ''Joe'' Celestin became the city's first Haitian-American mayor. His four years in office coincided with another political first, a Haitian majority on the City Council.

But, two years ago, politics in their homeland divided the Haitian community and spilled into the North Miami mayoral race, which featured three Haitian candidates. While former state Rep. Philip Brutus was touting Monestime's candidacy, Haitian radio personality Nelson ''Piman Bouk'' Voltaire and Lavarice Gaudin, both supporters of former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, declared war against Monestime and his supporters.

Swayed by Voltaire's appeals to vote all of the elected Haitian officials out of office, Haitian voters in North Miami stayed home. Election results showed Burns, then a political novice, beat Monestime 58 percent to 36 percent, with a winning margin of roughly 1,100 votes out of about 5,000 votes cast.

Voltaire now says he has put the past behind him and urges people to elect Monestime.

''I think it's time for the community to come together to support Jean. The point is, Burns is doing a good job, but I think Jean will do a better job,'' he said.

Gaudin has also decided to support Monestime this year.

''Monestime has told us he will fight against crime and help people find homes. We are fighting for low-income people so that they can live like everyone else,'' he said.

Despite the show of unity among Haitian movers and shakers, Burns' camp said the mayor has considerable support from the Haitian community.

Stephany Faublas, 17, a Burns campaign volunteer, said she has convinced Haitian voters who were going to vote for Monestime to switch sides by explaining how Burns has helped them out. For example, she said, by working with the Miami-Dade School Board to build new schools, Burns has increased people's chances to provide a better education for their children.

''Haitians tend to stick together. They will support each other no matter what. Sometimes it's a detriment because they don't know what else is out there,'' Faublas said.

Haitian lawmakers, though, say they are counting on their community supporting Haitian candidates.

''We are a small community and we have to support one another,'' Despinosse said. ``It's the idea of I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine.''

Even as Monestime's supporters are canvassing North Miami neighborhoods during a final weekend push, Despinosse and others are looking ahead.

''We are very happy right now,'' Despinosse said. ``I think if Jean Monestime wins the North Miami race, the momentum from that election will carry over and get John Patrick Julien in office.''