Caricom not recognising Haitian interim Government

BASSETERRE, St Kitts: The 15-nation Caribbean Community does not plan to recognise Haiti’s new US-backed interim government, senior Caribbean officials yesterday. Several officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the region’s leaders made the decision by consensus on the second and final day of their summit. They said they decided not to have formal relations with the new government due to concerns about the departure of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide on February 29 and the precedent it could set. On Thursday leaders demanded the UN General Assembly investigate Aristide’s claims he was abducted at gunpoint by US agents when he left as rebels threatened to attack Haiti’s capital. Asked if the regional bloc would recognise the new interim government, one national leader said on condition of anonymity: “Our people would not allow us to do that.”

“Our voters would not allow us to do that,” the leader said. “They will kill us.” Talks continued yesterday but officials said their minds were made up. They said they would discuss the issue again at their regular annual summit in July in Grenada. The officials said for the time being the Caribbean Community plans to work through the United Nations and other agencies in dealing with Haiti. They said leaders had been under enormous pressure from the United States to recognise the new government. Some leaders said earlier that they remained angry with interim Haitian Prime Minister Gerard Latortue, who was not invited to the summit after he attacked the community for allowing Aristide to take temporary exile in Jamaica last week. Latortue said at the time he was suspending Haiti’s participation in the bloc.

But yesterday morning Latortue faxed a conciliatory letter to Caribbean leaders, officials said. The letter was not made public, but officials said in it Latortue said his previous statements about the community and the rebels had been misconstrued. “Maybe if we had that letter from Mr Latortue before he might have been here at this meeting,” St. Kitts Prime Minister Denzil Douglas said. “The letter certainly changed the tone of our discussions, but the letter could have come before.” In Haiti, when asked about relations with the Caribbean Community, Latortue replied: “No comment.” No country has ever been suspended from the 31-year-old Caribbean Community. Haiti was the last nation to join in 2002. Several Caribbean leaders have said they would be uncomfortable at the same table with Latortue. The leaders Wednesday night cancelled a meeting with Latortue because he refused to sign and distribute a statement of apology that they prepared for him, Douglas said.

Leaders also said some were angry at Latortue for recently hailing as “freedom fighters” rebels who include assassins convicted of murdering Aristide supporters. Aristide has been in temporary exile in Jamaica since March 15, despite protests from US and Haitian officials who say his presence nearby inflames tensions within Haiti. Bahamas Foreign Minister Fred Mitchell said leaders are likely to set conditions such as holding new elections before Haiti might be allowed to take a place in the community. Latortue has said he hopes to organise legislative elections in six to eight months. Officials said that while expulsion wasn’t an option under the regional bloc’s rules, they still could declare Haiti’s seat vacant until questions about Aristide’s ouster are cleared up.