Regardless of whether there is an OAS resolution or not, we in the Convergence say that the longer Lavalas remains in charge of state institutions the more the country sinks into chaos.
The longer Aristide remains in power, the more the country moves away from democracy, the rule of law and any chance to escape extreme poverty. That is why the resignation of the de facto president, which everybody is demanding, is something which is much to be encouraged and the mobilization which is going on in the country must continue to develop.
Therefore, the only comment that we can make on the OAS resolution published yesterday is that we must draw the positive points from this resolution which allow us to move towards democracy, because that is the main goal that the Convergence has.
The positive points are the points which hold out the possibility for this country to have a democracy, to have institutions which are not Lavalas institutions. I am thinking of the Haitian National Police. The resolution speaks very clearly about an independent professional police force.
This means what it means, that is, that Resolution 806 must be implemented, that is, the arrest and trial of those who took part in the events of 17 December by attacking the premises of political parties and the residences of political leaders, that the state employees who were involved should be arrested and the armed gangs should be disarmed.
All this will allow freedom of political expression. As you know, today any civil-political expression is thwarted by scoundrels and the PNH, who have prevented demonstrations from taking place in Miragoane, Gonaives and at the National Teachers’ Training School. These are the positive aspects of the OAS resolution.
Another matter which is positive is that from now on this resolution will remove from the mouth of the Lavalas people the famous pretext that we in the Convergence had asked for funds to be frozen. We never requested that funds be frozen. In this resolution, the international community says that there should be negotiations, in order to see how to normalize the financial situation.
Now they can no longer point an accusing finger at us to blame us. May this money really serve the interests of the population and not go into the pockets of the Lavalas people.