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Despite the unexpected exit of former President Bertrand Aristide from Haiti, the tiny Republic of West Indies in North America is still in deep confusion. There is bloody political violence still going on in the nation’s capital Port-au-Prince, as the former President claims is still the head of State.
Due to this state of near-anarchy, the United States and France have deployed over 2,000 troops to Haiti to restore peace. The rebel group and the Pro-Aristide are still in loggerheads over power sharing. These made the Haiti National Police to loose control of maintaining peace and order while the US claims to intervene in the bloody conflict on humanitarian grounds.
For weeks, the Haitian rebels had pushed towards Port-au-Prince by gradually uprooting the Haiti National Police from the vicinity. Many people have lost their lives in the protracted struggle. As Foreigners fled the country, a lot of homes were deserted. Looting and arson was let loose in major cities. Aristide, who is now in exile in Jamaica, (but the government claimed is an invitation) has accused the US and French of forcibly removing him from office, while the rebel group said that any attempt to form a government without recognition would be resisted.
Haiti got their independence in 1804 from the French with blacks constituting 95% of the total population. Haiti is the product of a rebellion led by a former salve; Haiti has also been known to be misruled by the military Juntas, among which were led by François Duvalier, who declared himself life-President in 1964, and his son Jean Claude Duvalier, who fled the country in 1986. Aristide, a Roman Catholic Priest, was elected President in 1990 under a democratic setting. He was ejected from office by the military in 1991 but was forcibly returned to office in 1994 by the US, with the help of the International Community, a democratic-election saw Aristide transfer power to Rene Preval in 1996, this event led to the final evacuation of the US forces that had kept the military at bay.
Unbroken decades of misrule and corruption have left Haiti one of the poorest countries in the world. And Aristide re-election in 2000 did not offer the people and hope as the level of poverty increase rapidly while he disbanded the army, human right abuses and Political assassinations became the hallmark of Aristide’s.
Aristide’s shameful removal from office through popular revolt is another lesson leader around the world the sovereign power belongs to the people. As popular mini-revolution in Georgia's Eduardo Shevardnadze, who resigned after rigged elections led to mass protests; Alberto Fujimori, removed from office amid a growing public uproar over corruption and vote tampering; Philippine President Joseph Estrada, who resigned after evidence of his personal corruption sparked protests; Slobodan Milosevic, forced from office by massive public protests in October 2000 after he attempted to steal Yugoslavia's presidential elections and in Liberia, Charles Taylor was asked to vacate his seat and leave the country. Those examples have led to the collapse of a democratic setting in quick succession last year. The end of Aristide has once again confirmed that good governance remains the only indisputable guarantor of democratic government especially in developing countries.
This is a challenge to the youth that leadership is about sincerity and to be humble to the followers. The youths of today, if developed properly, will become the great leaders of tomorrow. It’s time to prepare to make a difference. It’s time to learn what it takes to lead. It is time to gun for the height in greatness. The ridiculous demand by the political culture has led to the killings in most part of the world where youths are affected.
Whenever, conflicts breaks out among these greedy selfish and ambitious leaders the unemployed youth are the target. Unemployed youths are suffering from abject poverty; i.e. hunger and looking for a way out of his frustrated life is therefore conditioned to pray for and participate in conflicts based on the level of poverty in the society.
Now that the US and French peace keepers are trying to restore law and order to the beleaguered country, the international community, particularly the united Nations and Organizations of American States, should assist Haiti in establishing an enduring democracy. The rebels must be disarmed, while past human rights abuses should be investigated and culprits brought to justice. And Haitian civil society to work together to ensure that all parties in Haiti commit themselves to a renewed democratic process of free and fair elections and then abide by the results. The lesson to be learnt from the Haiti saga is that, the Ultimate guarantor of peace and political stability is continuous improvement in the peoples living condition.
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Jide Keye
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