Why can’t the Haiti government immediately issue a Feuille De Route pending the passport renewal?
Regarding Green Light for the Return of Aristide / Communiqué du ministère de l’Intérieur haïtien
If President Preval’s and his Minister of Interior, Paul Antoine Bien-Aimé, were serious about immediately issuing traveling papers to President Aristide, why can’t they send him a Feuille De Route? That way President Aristide wouldn’t have any trouble with producing updated travel papers at a stop-over. A Feuille de Route documents that Aristide is a citizen of Haiti, allowed to travel to Haiti. It’s regularly given out by the Haitian Consulates abroad to citizens who must go home immediately (for a funeral for instance or whatever reason) and it would take time for a new passport to be issued. Only thing is they must have their valid passports on the return trip to leave Haiti, just no need for it to enter Haiti if a Haitian citizen. For the ordinary Haitian living abroad, the delay with renewing passports is normally caused because ALL Haiti passport are sent to the Washington embassy for renewal. But a Feuille de Route may be issued immediately.
Preval’s government know this clearly and are simply playing with this new ethical posture. HLLN believes they must get called out on it. An official request also for a Feuille De Route may be a good idea. Obviously, Preval and Paul Antoine Bien-Aimé are suffering the normal coup d’etat cognitive dissonance, acting like their government never heard such a thing when Bien-Aimé wrote his Jan. 31st communique. Or, that Jean Claude Duvalier traveled on something similar.
With reference to the Haiti government providing President Aristide with security that’s like asking the wolf to guard the hen house. Really haven’t we learned a thing? Let’s take into account who is running around as head of security for Duvalier, none other than FRAPH death squad leader, Louis Jodel Chamblain and let’s not forget at the inauguration of president Preval (who was elected on the condition he would bring Aristide back and didn’t), General Prosper Avril was front and center. So, uhmm, this is the government Haiti’s peoples want to be in charge of the security for the symbol of the people’s voice these Duvalierists and neo-Duvalierists helped take down? At HLLN, we say get the traveling papers, get to Haiti and bring your own security! Look at the systemic indefinite detentions since 2004, the slaughters, the sham trial of Jodel Chamblain, the sham search by the DEA for Guy Phillip and wake up. Ask Caricom for security if need be, certainly not this Haiti bunch in government right now. (See, Legacy of Impunity.)
Ezili Dantò of HLLN
Feb. 1, 2011
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Recommended HLLN Link:
– Letter to Haiti government from Ira Kurzban requesting delivery of agreed-to passport for Pres. Aristide and requisite security for immediate return – http://bit.ly/ibjVGk
– Green Light for the Return of Aristide | Feu vert au retour d’Aristide
Source: Radio Canada, Monday, Jan. 31, 2011, 7:38pm
In English – http://bit.ly/ibjVGk
In French – http://bit.ly/dOs3jA
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Forwarded by Ezili’s Haitian Lawyers Leadership Network
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