Haiti Announces Seizure of Duvalier’s Property After Army Routs Protesters

The seizure of the property of former President Jean-Claude Duvalier was announced Tuesday night by the new government in an apparent effort to win popular support.

Earlier, rumors and suspicions about the new regime’s intentions led to a demonstration that the army quickly broke up with tear gas.

It was the first time that tear gas had been used by the government that took over on Feb. 7 with the departure of Duvalier.

The action against the former dictator’s property was announced on television by Justice Minister Gerard Gourgue.

He said that “in response to the expressed will of the Haitian people” the government was taking three steps:

--Seizure of all property and personal belongings left behind by Duvalier and his wife, Michele.

--Annulment of all financial or economic transactions or operations arranged by Duvalier in the six months before his departure.

--Giving any companies that have acted as fronts for Duvalier 15 days to make a declaration of their assets or face seizure.

Duvalier’s property includes a beach house, a ranch and a mountain villa. It was not clear whether Duvalier himself had any businesses, but the Duvalier family is said to have amassed a fortune in secret Swiss bank accounts over the years. Also, Duvalier is reported to taken vast amounts of money with him when he fled.

Meanwhile, there was no indication that Tuesday’s unrest in Port-au-Prince would spread, though the tension was fueled by a spate of rumors--that students had been shot in their classrooms, that Duvalier had returned to Haiti.

The incident demonstrated the power of the rumor in the present circumstances; the new government has kept its long-range plans to itself. The five-member National Government Council has not gained the full confidence of the people in part because it is made up largely of members of the old Duvalier regime.

The demonstration appeared to have resulted from several factors, some apparently planned, some spontaneous. First, groups of youths took to the streets and chanted that all government operations should be closed down until the authorities announce a date for elections and dismiss all the members of the government who served under Duvalier.

While the demonstration was going on, a rumor spread through the capital that two students had been shot and killed at a Catholic school. Panicky parents began to pull their children out of schools.

The demonstrators, numbering about 300, converged on the presidential palace, where, as it happened, the red and black Duvalier flag was still being flown. The new government has announced that the red and blue pre-Duvalier flag will be restored, but not until Feb. 25.

The sight of the red and black flag led some of the demonstrators to believe that members of Duvalier’s militia were hiding in the palace, that perhaps Duvalier himself was there. Several said they had seen high-ranking militiamen in army uniform.

Calls for elections and the removal of Duvalier-connected officials have been heard constantly since the dictator fled to France. Youth organizations in several cities have pressed for the continued closure of schools to protest government inaction. But the Catholic Church, a prime mover in the anti-Duvalier movement, has called for the schools to be resumed. Classes reopened Monday after having been closed since December.

The ruling council has announced several moves in an apparent attempt to win popular support. It abolished the militia, canceled Duvalier’s constitution, dissolved the rubber-stamp National Assembly, closed the government newspaper for “reorganization” and erased the Duvalier name from public places. More forcefully, it has called for public order and warned against vigilante attacks on militiamen.

On the other hand, it appears to be taking a hands-off attitude in other areas. Council officials have said the government will shy away from prosecuting members of the militia for human rights abuses, but that the courts will entertain private suits. The whereabouts of most high-ranking militia officers is not known.