U.S. Warns Haiti of Possible Sanctions
W A S H I N G T O N, Sept. 5 -- The Clinton administration vowed today toimpose economic sanctions against Haiti unless it strengthensdemocratic procedures in advance of elections set for November 26.
The warning was issued by Luis Lauredo, U.S. ambassador to theOrganization of American States, at an OAS permanent councilmeeting on the organization’s efforts to help build democracy inHaiti.
Lauredo accused Haitian authorities of an unwillingness toaddress the “serious irregularities and deficiencies” that hesaid were evident during parliamentary runoff elections that wereheld in May.
Expected Victory for Aristide
The runoff, along with balloting in June and July, resulted inoverwhelming victories for the Lavalas Family party of formerPresident Jean-Bertrand Aristide, who is expected to winre-election to the presidency in November.
“In the absence of meaningful change,” Lauredo said, “theUnited States will not support the presidential and legislativeelections of Nov. 26, financially or through observer missions,”he said.
He added that the U.S. government also would send nearly allbilateral assistance to the people of Haiti through private andnon-governmental organizations, thus bypassing the Haitiangovernment.
Lauredo also raised the possibility that the United States wouldoppose Haitian loan requests from international lendinginstitutions.
U.S. officials had spoken of the possibility of punitivemeasures previously but only in general terms.
A Crossroads in Haiti
“We have reached a crossroads,” Lauredo said. “The elationexperienced on May 21, when millions of Haitians demonstrated theirtrust in the ballot box and democratic elections, has turned souras a result of the unwillingness of the Haitian authorities toaddress the serious irregularities and deficiencies arising in theelections’ aftermath.”
Concern about the electoral procures also was expressed byAmbassador Kingsley C.A. Layne, of St. Vincent, speaking on behalfof the Caribbean Community.
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