THE EDITOR, Sir:
EVERY ONE should well appreciate the Jamaican PM's humanitarian gesture for accepting J.B. Aristide in Jamaica. The P.M. should note, however, that the needs of Haiti should transcend any personal relationship with the former Haitian president.
Haiti, more than ever, needs all the help it can get from its close neighbours. The fate of eight million human beings living in abject poverty is far more important than that of Aristide, at this point.
Haiti (with this new P.M.), is trying to restart itself. I think CARICOM should give serious thought on how they can engage this new Haitian administration constructively (despite their doubts about its legitimacy). Aristide no longer represents Haiti. This is a fact. He is not likely to come back in, after being twice booted out.
For now, he ought to consider leaving politics aside for good and concentrate on raising his two children. He is sure to live a golden exile anywhere he decides to settle. He must look toward the future. Most of all, he should reflect deeply on what went wrong with him and his personal style of governance. We must not ignore that Aristide was re-elected [arguably] under dubious conditions, and was no such democratic leader as everybody claims. After all, Aristide could not deliver on his promises and sweet words that he enjoyed preaching to the masses. He probably was more an autocrat than a president with democratic ideals.
One thing we will never know is what he had planned for after he would finish his last two years in power. Maybe staying on for life... democratically?
I am, etc.,
JEAN MILLEN
jumill@yahoo.com
New York
Via Go-Jamaica
