Todd Howland

Sunday, September 11th 2005

If Haiti is not Afghanistan, and the Haitian conflict is not part of the global struggle against terrorism, why does the Bush Administration continue to treat them as one and the same? The Bush foreign policy wrongly favours a one-size-fits-all approach to nations in conflict. It is overdue for UN member states to just say no to this ineffective policy that costs their taxpayers' money and Haitian lives.

US "peacekeeping" policy, whether executed through the UN or unilaterally, is grounded in the same oversimplified Washington anti-terrorism "logic." In an attempt at modern-day alchemy, Bush has created a supposed cure-all for war-torn nations, the "Election Elixir." Mix one heavy dose of military intervention, stir in a "trusted" transitional authority, and fold in magic-making elections and, voila, Instant Democracy. Anxious to placate the US after opposing its invasion of Iraq, Member States have allowed the US to prescribe this policy again and again.

Sadly, this elixir is leaving a bitter taste in the mouths of Haitian citizens. Thanks to the international community's acquiescence to US policy, Haiti is now the only country in the world outside of Afghanistan where UN peacekeepers operate without a peace accord between the parties to the conflict.

Member states have a choice to make. Either stay the course by continuing to appease the US, or stand up on principle for the rights of Haitians and use the time-honored approach to peacemaking, peacekeeping, and peacebuilding by getting all major parties to the negotiating table. Every other major peace process in the world is anchored by a peace accord. Participants to these accords include infamous war criminals like Charles Taylor and famous liberators, like John Garang. It is irrelevant whether one thinks former Haitian President Aristide is Haiti's Taylor or Haiti's Garang, he is essential to creating a lasting peace in Haiti.

While it can be argued that Al Qaeda and its Taliban allies are the enemy of the international community, who are the UN soldiers fighting in Haiti? It appears that the US government's allergy to Aristide has spread quickly. Unfortunately for Haitians, the antidote to this allergy appears to have many nasty side-effects, including but not limited to endemic corruption; the disappearance of governance and government services; violence and human rights abuses resulting from daily deaths due to a lack of potable water and access to health care; and summary executions carried out by the new Haitian police.

Member states, read your cables! They highlight that the best chance for achieving lasting peace is through a negotiated solution. Haiti is heading further toward a human rights crisis. Each Member State's obligation to collectively promote and protect human rights is being violated when they are content to prescribe the "Election Elixir," call for UN troops to be more aggressive in imposing order, and simply cross their fingers.

The situation in Haiti is dire. Hoping for a miracle from the November 13 national elections is irresponsible, particularly when one considers the level of Haitian skepticism. In early August registration had to be extended and the first round of elections postponed, given that only about one-fifth of Haitians had registered.

Without the structural reforms and legitimacy achieved through broad participation in and effective implementation of a peace accord, elections are one big costly gamble. This could be a truly transformative moment in Haiti's history; or it could easily result in the delegitimisation of the electoral process in Haiti.

It is time to change course and use the method that the UN normally employs in these situations: negotiate a solution involving all players.

The UN needs to use the negotiation process to create structural reforms that can help to address the root causes of the conflict, including violations of economic as well as political rights. Elections have a time and place. The peace process must first be firmly embraced by the population; only then can elections put Haiti back on track towards creating a culture in which human rights are respected.

It is time for UN member states to take their collective obligations to promoting human rights in Haiti seriously, even if that means telling the Bush Administration that its magic-making elections are nothing but an illusion.

* Todd Howland is the Director of the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Center for Human Rights in Washington, DC. Previously Todd worked with the UN peace keeping missions in Rwanda and Equatorial Guinea, and served as director of UN Human Rights efforts in Angola. He works extensively with Haitian human rights activist Ms Loune Viaud.