ARTICLE - A COUNTRY RE-DIVIDED

HAITI: A COUNTRY RE-DIVIDED?
(PRI) - By Amy Bracken

Just a note for the record: In a recent interview, Lisa Mullins asked me about Aristide’s popularity. My reply suggested that if one digs down, one might find the occasional, quiet, non-enthusiast. While this reflected my experience near the airport on March 17, 2011, the day of the former president’s return to Haiti, I’m afraid it glossed over important recent history. I should have mentioned that in the months preceding his departure in 2004 there was a robust anti-Aristide movement in Port-au-Prince, with demonstrations almost daily, with the number of marches at times reaching some 20,000. And they were met by similarly sized pro-Aristide demonstrations.

The vast majority of protestors on both sides were peaceful. Generally, the violence was committed by pro-Aristide gang members in Port-au-Prince and by anti-Aristide gang members and ex-military in Gonaives and elsewhere. But occasionally a peaceful demonstration turned violent, as when a pro-Aristide activist was brutally beaten by a crowd of opposition demonstrators – an incident that was caught on tape. What’s more, leadership in and out of the government too often fanned the flames of division and mutual distrust rather than trying to unify the country.

Seven years later, on March 17, some of the one time anti-Aristide demonstrators were unhappy to know that their former enemy was back on home turf, but many shrugged it off as a citizen’s right of return. On the Aristide front, people have largely moved on, and it’s easy to forget how polarized the country was then, and how dangerous it could be to affiliate with one side or the other in certain parts of town at certain times.

Then again, history repeats itself in Haiti. The demonstrations that followed the fraudulent first round of presidential and parliamentary elections four months ago turned violent, and Port-au-Prince residents described the climate as scarier than 2004. This time a camera captured the shooting death of one demonstrator by another.

Now, with the results of the second round of the vote due out on Monday, and with findings, again, of widespread fraud, the electoral council has asked for calm. Let’s hope those vying for the top job show their leadership skills by bringing peace and unity so Haiti doesn’t keep repeating 2004.