20/02/2011 11:44:24 haitilibre
Ira J. Kurzban the lawyer of the Former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide in exile in South Africa since February 2004, asserts that his client cannot return to Haiti without the cooperation of the governments of the United States and South Africa, even if the government of Haiti has issued earlier this month a passport to Aristide.
Kurzban has expressed his displeasure, calling into question the statements of the Government of South Africa who recently said that it was taking steps to ensure the return of former President Aristide in Haiti.
After having read in the press, that the government of Haiti asserted having no contact with the South African authorities, the lawyer sent a letter Friday to Marie-Michèle Rey, the Haitian Minister of Foreign Affairs, for ask explanations.
“I read with interest yesterday a news account where you stated that you have had no contact with you counterpart in South Africa […] I kindly request that you inform me as whether you have been contacted by the government of the Republic of South Africa and what steps you have taken, on behalf of the government of the Republic of Haiti to ensure President Aristide’s immediate return.”
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COMMENT: HAITIAN-TRUTH.ORG
With all due respect, why doesn’t Aristide simply book a flight.
Then – should the South African government move to block his departure, President Aristide should make the problem public to draw attention to his situation.
He was big with the Geopolitical Kidnap concept.
Now he should decry the Geopolitical Hostage concept.
Many do not think Aristide wants to return.
His delay has lost the interest of many supporters as they switch their loyalty to Michel Martelly.
If Aristide does not return – quickly – he will be as dead as yesterday’s news.
And Kurzban will lose his sugar daddy and have to do an honest day’s
work.
I agree.
We heard much ado about Aristide coming back, the next day, then in a few days…then more delay.
I believe he does not plan a return to Haiti and is making a selfish effort to upset things again.
With Michel Martelly on the streets, Aristide will find problems getting somewhere to sit down.
Aristide is nothing but a memory…good for some…bad for some.
Aristide fini!!
The real facts are simple.
Aristide can return.
Unlike Duvalier, against who no real charges can be filed, Aristide has a closet full of skeletons, each of them capable of generating a life sentence.
Haitians have dossiers on murder, kidnap, rape, cocaine trafficking, massive theft of funds…
The Americans have hi in their sighs as a Drug Kingpin, and have a stack of files that will support multiple charges. The Americans have not done anything other than file sealed indictments against Aristide. These, like wrapped Christmas presents, beneath the tree, await opening and the surprise of the recipient.
In this case, there will be no surprise because Aristide knows his guilt.
Aristide is a frightened man who will soon be forced from South Africa, by that government.
Who will take this priest??
He can have Noriega’s cell in Miami.
It has warm showers and wide screen TV.
Doctor Narcisse screams into her microphone so loud that Aristide can heard her in South Africa, but he does not pack baggage for his flight.
Aristide is trying to hide to avoid the international justice systeme trail.People who did 1986 are thinking seriously about their own situation too.Most of the officials and associates in Haiti have concern about what will happen to them next.
Both sides: Duvalier’s and Aristide guys are the same. Both of them must be invited to explain what they did to the country and its people.
I honesty don’t think that Aristide is afraid of coming back to Haiti. I am sure it has something to do with security concerns in Haiti itself. After all, there are a few thugs like Guy Philippe out there who would be going after him, not to mention nuts like Chamblain.
The apartheid regime was very scared of it’s prisoner on Robbin Island, Nelson Mandela, at least during the last ten years of the regime. They feared the consequences if Mandela ever died in prison, even if it were of natural causes. The backlash would have overwhelmed even the Whites.
Like it or not, Aristide is the most popular politician in Haiti. Some might like to deny it but they are the same as flatearthers, denying reality. Why else would the elite and the US have tried to keep him out? Aristide holds more sway than any one else in Haiti. Certainly not in the comfortable estates of Petionville and the offices of the companies running Haiti but certainly in the poor areas and those are the majority.
If something did happened to Ariistide, the backlash would be even more severe than a theoretical killing of Mandela during apartheid. The Haitian elite are much fewer in number than the Whites in South Africa and much less sophisticated and even less well-armed. Thus, the elite in Haiti will have to make a deal with Aristide and Lavalas in the veery end. However much the Whites made use of “kragdadigheid” (show of force), they knew they could never hold down the Black majority for ever. They eventually had to make a deal with their nemsis, the ANC. The Haitian elite and their US sponsors would be wise to follow suit. Just look at people power in Egypt and even Libya!!
Clearly Mr. Aristide can but doesn’t want to return to Haiti, at least for now. Why his people can’t comprehend that is hard to understand. Former president Duvalier’s return has eliminated the passport alibi. Mr. Aristide should be honest and inform his supporters about his real intentions. Logically even his own family should be against his return.
In case he does return do the current protagonists of that return really think that he will associate with them again given society’s view of them? They should think twice.