After Aristide requested a US military intervention for his return in 1994 and attempt to illegally stay in power after his term was over, he was forced to relinquish power and Preval became his successor. Aristide wanted Preval to be his puppet during Preval's first term in office as president. When Preval started to become more independent, Aristide -- as a warning -- sent some of his thugs to kill the dogs Preval's sister, who was serving as his Executive Assistance. Despite the warning Preval, continued to move away from Aristide. As a second warning, Preval's sister was shot and wounded by Aristide's gunmen. Preval backed down and ceded to Aristide's pressure following his instruction to the letter.
At the end of his first term under Aristide's control, Preval rigged both the legislative and presidential elections in May and November 2000. The President of the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) Leon Manus resisted and in a public letter denounced the fraud threatened by Aristide and Preval and had to flee the country for political exile in the United States. Despite a letter written to the OAS by Manus detailing the situation, the OAS did nothing. Aristide forced his majority in parliament and stole the presidency. The people of Haiti stood up and said "no", and contested the legitimacy of both parliament and Aristide as president. On February 7, 2001, two presidents were sworn in: Aristide who stole the elections, and Gerard Gourgue a provisional president representing the opposition. Preval went quietly back to his hometown Marmelade. The following three years Aristide in power tried to frame and eliminate Preval. One of the key players protecting Preval against Aristide a that time was Jude Celestin who got a stock of heavy weapons from Preval before the end of his first term. From 2001 to 2004, Aristide used violence and corruption to suppress dissent among the population -- students, women, political parties, peasants, press, humans right activists, and civil society. His brutality failed. The Haitian people would not stand for it. In February 2004, a popular uprising was highjacked at the last minute by a group of gunmen, who used to serve as Aristide henchmen and allies, provoked his resignation. He fled into exile with the assistance of the US military at his request. Aristide's Prime Minister Yvon Neptune invoked Article 149 of the constitution and allowed a member of the Haitian Supreme Court to become provisional president.
The provisional government organized general elections in 2006 allowing every political party to run, but they prevented any members of the provisional government to run for office unless they resigned six months prior to the elections. Preval became president and Aristide's Lavalas party won six of the 99 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and three of the 30 seats in the Senate. It was clear that the Lavalas party had no political support among the people. Preval distanced himself from Aristide and captured most of his supporters and gave them government positions in his office, the cabinet and the civil service. Preval closed all the loopholes that allowed Aristide to siphon money from the State. Since then, Aristide has been maneuvering with his former lobbyists and allies to use Haiti's telecommunications company to weaken Preval and promote their fabricated line that he was kidnapped all in an effort to return him to Haiti. Aristide promised to make everyone rich -" or richer as several of them have already enriched themselves with Aristide
Preval's relationship with Duvalier began in the 1980's through Michele Pierre Louis, Haiti's former Prime Minister. At that time, Pierre Louis was Deputy Director General of the airport. They negotiated Preval's return to Haiti (he had fled into exile in the 1960s) and gave him a job as a civil servant. Preval knew key players at the Minister level since he grew up with several of them, attended the same schools and lived in the same neighborhood. When as a young man he had to flee Haiti into exile in Belgium, two of Preval's friends under the Duvalier regime went to the Dominican Embassy where Preval was seeking asylum to give him a packet of cigarettes and US$100. One of them, a Duvalierist, is living in Long Island today and is Preval's top political advisor and most trusted political ally.
This the context in which Jean Claude Duvalier returned to Haiti. His return is inextricably linked with Aristide and Preval's agendas, and most observers believe he is merely a pawn in or distraction from a larger political dynamic underway.
Duvalier's "Inexplicable" and "Surprise" Return
Duvalier landed in Haiti on January 17, 2011 after 24 years in political exile in France. His return is being labeled a "surprise" in press reports, but it could not have happened without international diplomatic support and Preval's approval. He could not have boarded a plane in France to Haiti without the approval of the French and Haitian governments. Further, his supporters did not seem to be surprised by his return as they turned out to great him at the airport.
News coverage of Duvalier's return has also called his return "inexplicable", but many Haitians are speculating about three likely scenarios:
1. Preval is using Duvalier's return to create political confusion and a distraction for the international community. Preval received the OAS's report of recommendations on how to resolve the fraudulent elections last Thursday. On Monday, the OAS Secretary General will visit Haiti to get Preval's official response to the report findings.
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
