Aristide must go because....

Press release written by the Reflection Group to
prepare a Haitian Popular National Front

Translated from Creole by Charles Arthur for the Haiti Support Group

The Reflection Group to prepare a Haitian Popular National Front (Gwoup
Refleksyon pou kanpe Fwon Nasyonal Popilè Ayisyen) is revolted by the corrupt
Lavalas government’s underhand attack on some of the capital’s radio stations’
transmitters on 13 January 2004. This attack on the radio transmitters follows
other acts of violence carried out by Lavalas across the country - the attack on
the State University, and the desperate and reactionary violence against the
people of Gonaives, the Central Plateau, the North, the North-East, and
Miragoane - and shows that the corrupt Aristide regime is modelling itself on the
Duvaliers, Raoul Cedras, Michel Francois, etc.

If the country is to pass through the crossroads it is facing, the Reflection
Group to prepare a Haitian Popular National Front believes that the first
stage in the battle is to mobilise ourselves to get rid of Aristide so that basic
rights are respected. Follwoing this stage, we must struggle with the task of
bringing about changes to the living conditions of the majority.

The Reflection Group to prepare a Haitian Popular National Front believes
that students, teachers, peasants, workers, small traders, the unemployed and the
population in general must mobilise to force the Aristide/Lavalas regime out
of power, and then put it on trial, because :

1) Aristide lets armed gangs, across the country, kidnap, rape, kill,
terrorise and generally mistreat anyone who does not agree with him ;

2) Aristide is smashing all the institutions of the State : the police, the
judiciary, the university, etc ;

3) Aristide is trying to put a muzzle over the mouth of the media ;

4) Aristide and his Lavalas regime are turning the country into a cemetery
where human life has no value ;

5) Aristide is destroying national production by applying neo-liberal
economic policies - it’s the high cost of living that has destroyed the masses’
loyalty.

6) Aristide has defecated on the land that feeds us peasants by setting up
the free trade zone at Pitobert (Ouanaminthe -Grupo M) ;

7) Aristide and his acolytes just ripped up the money that poor people had
put in the fake cooperatives ;

8) Aristide and his acolytes have pillaged the State coffers and then paid
the chimeres (gangsters) with the people’s tax contributions ;

In this context, the Reflection Group to prepare a Haitian Popular National
Front believes that the struggle to send Aristide on his way is a struggle
against dictatorship, impunity, and a struggle to stop the Lavalas government’s
application of the neo-liberal plan. This struggle must continue against
whatever government which has dictatorial ambitions to apply the Aristide death plan.

The organisations that compose the Reflection Group to prepare a Haitian
Popular National Front are :

• Mouvman Revolisyonè Ayisyen (MRA)

• Regwoupman Oganizasyon Popilè Granmoun yo

• Mouvman Inisyativ Api Popilè (MIAP)

• Komite Inisyativ Jèn Machan Desalin (KIJD)

• Gwoup Refleksyon ak Aksyon Patriyotik (GRAP)

• Efò ak Solidarite pou konstui yon Altènativ Nasyonal Popilè (ESKANP)

• Mouvman Inite Pèp Okay (MIPAK)

• Fwon Rezistans pou Refòm Inivèsite Leta a ak Transfòmasyon sosyete a

• Rasanbleman Militan Solidè Otwou (RAMSO)

• Kòdinasyon Rezistans Grandans (KOREGA)

• Mouvman Fanm Latibonit pou Devlopman ak Lavi Miyò (MOFADEM)

• Komite Jèn Sitwayen Sen Michèl Latalay (KOJESMA)

• Rasanbleman pou yon Mouvman Pwogresis Popilè Latibonit (RAMPA)

• Konbit Oganizasyon Peyizan (KOP)

For authentification :

Joseph J. Jasmin

Guy Numa

Polycape Westner

Paul André Garçonnet