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Jean-Bertrand Aristide
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Jean-Bertrand Aristide (born July 15, 1953) is a former Roman Catholic priest who was President of Haiti in 1991, again from 1994 to 1996, and then from 2001 to 2004. He was deposed twice, first in a military coup de force in September, 1991, and subsequently in a February 2004 rebellion in which former FAdH soldiers participated. He alleged that he was kidnapped by the U S and Canadian military and forced into exile in South Africa.
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Jean-Bertrand Aristide (born July 15, 1953) is a former Roman Catholic priest who was President of Haiti in 1991, again from 1994 to 1996, and then from 2001 to 2004. He was deposed twice, first in a military coup de force in September, 1991, and subsequently in a February 2004 rebellion in which former FAdH soldiers participated. He alleged that he was kidnapped by the U S and Canadian military and forced into exile in South Africa. After being deposed a second time, even though he presented a signed resignation, Aristide maintained, from exile in the Central African Republic that he was still the legal and legitimate president, and that United States forces had kidnapped him.
Education and church career
Aristide was born in Port-Salut. He was educated at Salesian schools in Port-au-Prince and at the College Notre Dame, graduating with honors in 1974. He then took a course of novitiate studies in La Vega, Dominican Republic before returning to Haiti to study philosophy at the Grand Seminaire Notre Dame and psychology at the State University of Haiti. After completing his post-graduate studies in 1979, he traveled in Europe, studying in Italy and Israel. Aristide returned to Haiti in 1983 for his ordination as a Salesian priest.
He was appointed curate of a small parish in Port-au-Prince and then a larger one in the La Saline slums, gaining the affectionate Kréyňl nickname "Titide" or "Titid" . An exponent of liberation theology, he became a leading figure in the more radical wing of the Catholic faith in Haiti (the ti legliz — from the Kréyňl for "little church"), and broadcast his sermons on the national Catholic radio station. In a January 1988 interview with National Catholic Reporter, Aristide said,"The solution is revolution, first in the spirit of the Gospel; Jesus could not accept people going hungry. It is a conflict between classes, rich and poor. My role is to preach and organize...." Father Aristide was expelled from his Salesian order in 1988. At the time, the Salesians said the priest's political activities were an "incitement to hatred and violence" and out of line with his role as a clergyman. In 1995 Aristide left the priesthood. It enabled him the following year to marry Mildred Trouillot, a US citizen, with whom he now has two daughters.
Aristide as President
First presidency and coup
Following the violence at the abortive national elections of 1987, the 1990 elections were approached with caution. Aristide announced his candidacy for the presidency and following a six-week campaign, during which he dubbed his followers "Lavalas" — "the flood" or "torrent" in Kréyňl — the "little priest" was elected President with 67% of the vote. Aristide took office on February 7, 1991.
On September 30, 1991; After his own government, led by Prime Minister Rene Preval, suffered an 83-11 non-confidence vote, by the Aristide controlled Lavalas parliament, Aristide resigned. In accordance with the requirements of Article 149, of the Haitian Constitution, Superior Court Justice Joseph Nérette was installed as President Provisoire to serve until elections were held within 90 days of Aristide's resignation.These elections were scheduled, but were derailed by the American Government; (as would the elections, mandated by the Constitution, after Aristide's second resignation in February, 2004.) However, real power was held by army commander Raoul Cédras.
Aristide spent his exile first in Venezuela and then in the United States, working hard to develop international support. A United Nations embargo during Aristide's exile was a strong blow to Haiti's already weak economy. Under U.S. and international pressure, the military regime backed down and U.S. troops were deployed in the country. On October 15, 1994, Aristide returned to Haiti to complete his term in office. Aristide disbanded the Haitian army, and established a civilian police force.
Aristide's first term ended in February 1996, and the constitution did not allow him to serve consecutive terms. There was some dispute over whether Aristide should serve the three years he had lost in exile prior to new elections, or whether his term in office should instead be counted strictly according to the date of his inauguration; it was decided that the latter should be the case. René Préval, a prominent ally of Aristide and Prime Minister in 1991 under Aristide, ran during the 1995 presidential election and took 88% of the vote. About 175,000 - 5% of the 3,500,000 electorate participated in these elections.
Second presidency
In late 1996, Aristide broke from the OPL (which had supported IMF privatization plans) and created a new political party, the Fanmi Lavalas. The OPL, holding the majority in the Sénat and the Chambre des Députés, renamed itself the Organisation du Peuple en Lutte, maintaining the OPL acronym. The Fanmi Lavalas won the 2000 legislative election but the opposition leaders claimed that a number of the seats were invalid. Aristide then was elected later that year in an election which was boycotted by most opposition political parties, despite the fact that they had very little popular support (4% at most). Once again, more than 60% of the electorate voted in the 2000 election, with Aristide winning a 90% majority.
2004 Haitian rebellion
After a violent rebellion in 2004, Aristide was forced out of Haiti. The role of the U.S. in this departure is disputed.
Potential return
After René Préval, a former ally of Aristide, was elected as president of Haiti, he hinted that Aristide might return to Haiti.
But since then he has not provided a time frame for him to come back and all indications show that he won't do so as not to jeopardize the stability of the country. He is blocked in South Africa by American threats to reveal evidence tying him to the cocaine traffic. Following Aristide's ousting in 2004 very few nations continued to recognize Aristide as the democratically elected president of Haiti.
In South Africa, Aristide became an honorary research fellow at the University of South Africa, learned Zulu, and on April 25, 2007 received a doctorate in African Languages. On December 21, 2007, a speech by Aristide marking the new year and Haiti's Independence Day was broadcast, the fourth such speech since his exile; in the speech he criticized the 2006 presidential election, in which Préval was elected, describing it as a "selection" in which "the knife of treason was planted" in the back of the Haitian people.
After the election some high ranking members of Lavalas have been targeted for violence. Lovinsky Pierre-Antoine, a leading human rights organizer in Haiti and a member of Lavalas, disappeared in August 2007. His whereabouts remain unknown.
Position on globalization
In 2004 Aristide published a book, The Eyes of the Heart: Seeking a Path for the Poor in the Age of Globalization, which used Haiti as a case study of globalization. Aristide specifically points out problems with the World Bank and the IMF in creating larger problems within Haitian society and the economy.
External links
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- Naomi Klein, The Guardian, July 18, 2005,
- London Review of Books 15 April 2004
- by Paul Farmer in The use of Haiti
- : the US and France denies Aristide's charges; but block UN probes
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- , JURIST
- . The film by filmmaker Nicolas Rossier investigates the events leading up to the 2004 coup against Aristide.
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