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[jafrikayiti]

Killing the Lavalas dream by means of strategic Fraticide

Early last week, news came to us of the violence that broke out in the Plato

Santral area between members of two Lavalas factions, those of the Mouvman

Peyizan Papay and those of Fanmi Lavalas.

Like most individuals who are truly committed to the wellbeing of my people,

my initial reaction to this news was outrage towards the leadership of the

Lavalas movement who allowed this to happen and great concern that peace

will be seriously undermined in my country during the coming months.

I raise the issue here and on other fora, in the hope that influencial

members of the political fractions active in Haitian politics will heed my

call and take the necessary steps to avoid a replay of the Jean Dominique

tragedy.

I read an e-mail press release from the OPL people claiming that the life of

Chavannes Jean-Baptiste is in great danger. His brother is already one of

the direct victims of last week's violence. What is going on here? Is Fanmi

Lavalas really shooting itself in the foot by sponsoring highly visible

violence against its political rivals - only days before the November 26th

presidential elections? That would be dangerous, outrageous and foolish. But

who is to say that the Lavalas leadership has not indeed lost all control of

the streets?

In any case, one must realise that since the 1991 coup d'état, a number of

peasant leaders or grassroots organisers have been eliminated , among them

several key liberation theology activists or sympathisers (Pè Jean Marie

Vincent, Pè Ti-Jean, Jean Dominique, Amos Jeanot?) while we have witnessed a

simultaneous factioning of the Lavalas Movement and its leadership.

In almost all these cases, there has somehow been a strategy found to use

the violence to further weaken the Lavalas Movement and its leadership by

casting doubt that the murderers might be insiders - children of the LM

itself. I can't help but remember how I worried that once, the feud between

Danny Toussaint and Jean Dominique became a matter of public knowledge, the

latter became an open and perfect target for ennemies of the movement to

which they both belonged. Had the Lavalas leadership promptly quashed the

qrarrel between these two, who is to say what would have happenned.

Unfortunately, one cannot turn the clock backwards but we can and should try

to avoid violent tragedy when it is avoidable.

Chavannes Jean-Baptiste was once a close adviser to Jean-Bertrand Aristide

and René Péval. Chavannes Jean-Baptiste is a powerful peasant leader. The

Lavalas movement's power stems from its strong ties with the Haitian masses.

Both peasant populations and city dwellers. Eliminating Chavannes would be a

great gain for those who want to keep the Haitian people away from Haitian

politics and, at the same time, it would be a great opportunity to further

destroy the Lavalas Movemenr as a whole and, particularly to use strategic

fraticide to strike a fatal blow to its most powerful faction today, the

Fanmi Lavalas of Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

A piece of advice for Fanmi Lavalas and its leadership : Make sure your

members in the Plato Santral stay as far away as possible from any

confrontations with their MPP brothers.

A piece of Advice for the Haitian Government and Head of State : Make sure

you provide the best protection possible to MPP and its leader Chavannes

Jean-Baptiste, your brother in the struggle.

A piece of advice to Chavannes Jean-Baptiste : Make sure you take evry step

possible to protect your life and stay away from known self-claimed «chimè»

or violent agitators that sel-identify with FL, Tonton Makouts and CIA

agents in Haiti.

Finally, let me say to all my elders whom I have followed in the Lavalas

movement since 1991. I have watched how you have led the people to a

glorious victory in December 1990. I have watched and joined your courageous

and intelligent struggle against the Septembre 1991 Coup d 'État. I have

celebrated with you the victory of October 15th 1994. I have felt your pain

as you witnessed the fractioning of the movement between 1994 and 2000.

Today many of you are so caught up in that fratricidal battle that you

cannot step back and look at the big picture. What has happened since 1991?

Why were there so few voters in the 1995 and 1997 elections? Why are peasant

leaders falling one after another?

Today, I beg your attention Titid, Chavannes, Préval, Pè Antoine

Adrien?please realise what is really going on is the destruction of the December 1990

victory. Should you allow this to happen, history will not blame only one

MPP or one Fanmi Lavalas or one OPL or one Louvri Baryè party or leader. It is each and

every one of you individually that will bear the blame and also as a

generation.

As the powerfull nations of the world are moving towards more extreme right

wing leadership, it is not at all the right time for our nation to waste the

hard earned democratic gains of 1991. Wake up my brothers and sisters and

realise who your real foes are and please do the right thing!

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Jafrikayiti

"Depi nan Ginen bon nèg ap ede nèg!"

Bien Jaf bien,

Maintenant tu nous rejoues la même en français. Tu veux bien?