Haitian Bishops Urge Political Compromise

Warning that Haiti faces “the specter of anarchy and civil war,” the Roman Catholic Church issued a strong appeal Sunday for compromise between the military-led government and opposition forces.

A church statement said the country “is going through one of the gravest political crises of our times.”

An on-and-off general strike, which paralyzed the country for four days last week and triggered street disturbances, was scheduled to resume today. Tension between security forces and anti-government protesters was raised by the shooting deaths of at least 22 people during last week’s violence.

As the week ended, anti-government organizers of the strike were demanding the removal of the ruling National Government Council, headed by Lt. Gen. Henri Namphy. But Sunday, amid increased fears of violent upheaval, some organizers reportedly were moving toward a more conciliatory position.

Conciliation Urged

A message to the nation Sunday from the Catholic Conference of Haitian Bishops emphasized the need for conciliation.

“We appeal to the patriotic feelings of the National Council of Government, the armed forces of Haiti, the political leaders and the leading members of democratic organizations, so that they may make the necessary sacrifices to free the country from anguish and avoid the specter of anarchy and civil war, of which the greatest burden would be borne by the poor,” the message said.

Referring to reports of indiscriminate shootings by government security forces last week, the bishops said, “We protest energetically this blind use of murderous automatic weapons, which wounds or kills defenseless people.”

The bishops’ protest echoed one made Saturday by the Provisional Electoral Council, an independent agency empowered to oversee elections. In an open letter to Brig. Gen. Williams Regala, a member of the Government Council and minister of the interior, the Electoral Commission complained of government repression.

The letter said that because of the climate of violence, the Electoral Council was suspending negotiations with the government over voting regulations and procedures. Presidential elections are scheduled for Nov. 27.

“In popular neighborhoods, members of the armed forces have opened fire on little houses occupied by women, youths and children,” the letter said. It added that “armed groups circulate in unlicensed vehicles, committing acts of banditry among the population.”

That description coincided with rumors of a comeback by the Tontons Macoutes, an irregular government force of toughs and thugs that cowed Haitian masses under the long Duvalier family dictatorship.

The dictatorship ended when a series of violent protests sent President-for-Life Jean-Claude Duvalier fleeing to France in February, 1986.

Duvalier left government leadership in the hands of Gen. Namphy, who shares power with the Government Council’s other two members, Gen. Regala and a civilian, Luc Hector.

Control of Elections

The Government Council has repeatedly said that it has no ambition to remain in power beyond a period of transition to democracy. But critics questioned the council’s democratic sincerity after a June decree took control over elections away from the Electoral Council and gave it to the government. The general strike that began last Monday was called mainly to protest that decree, which strike organizers called unconstitutional. Haiti’s three-month-old constitution gives responsibility for elections to the Electoral Council, whose nine members were chosen by different institutions and organizations.

Catholic Bishop Willy Romelus, a popular leader in the provincial city of Jeremie, suggested last week in a radio speech that the Government Council should resign: “Uproot your cassava plants and leave the earth clean,” he said in Creole, the homey patois of Haiti’s masses.

Those became the watchwords of the protest movement, and as the week reached its end, it became clear that a serious attempt to topple the government was in progress.

Saturday night, the high commanders of the armed forces lined up on television as a military declaration was read over the air. It said that the armed forces “give their total support” to the Government Council “in these exceptional circumstances that are agitating the nation.”

Some politicians interpreted the televised proclamation as a military show of unity and force, and a tough warning against insisting on the Government Council’s removal.

At the same time, however, the proclamation said instructions had been issued to military units to “make use of moderation and wisdom in carrying out their mission of security.” Some analysts saw that as a promise to avoid the kind of harsh repressive action that security forces were accused of last week.

A foreign diplomat said he understood that security forces would be kept off the streets as much as possible this week.

“Now, apparently, the orders of the day are stay in the barracks,” the diplomat said. “But if serious disorder breaks out, you can’t just let the city fall apart. At some point, you have to call out the troops.”

He said that much of last week’s most brutal actions were carried out by troops of the Desalines Tactical Battalion. The unit, housed in barracks behind mustard-colored walls in downtown Port-au-Prince, is commanded by Col. Jean-Claude Paul, a veteran officer with a reputation for ruthless repression during the Duvalier regime.

The foreign diplomat and other analysts said that Paul is extremely powerful because of his command over a key fighting unit and that he fears losing his power as civilians gain control over Haiti.

The colonel may not have given orders for his troops to crack down on protesters with deadly force last week, the diplomat said, but he added, “I think those guys reflect the paranoia of their commander.”

The removal of Paul has become a goal of the anti-government protest movement. The 57 Organizations, a coalition of civic and political groups that organized the general strike, reportedly is considering Paul’s dismissal as part of a compromise demand aimed at settling the volatile impasse between the government and its opponents.

A source close to some leaders of the 57 Organizations said they are discussing the possibility of backing down from their previous demand for the removal of the Government Council. Instead, he said, they may settle for changes in the Cabinet and the removal of Paul and a police captain who has been blamed for heavy-handed repression.

“If a major Cabinet purge and a military purge take place, then some democratic leaders, religious leaders and political leaders--those that people listen to--will be able to calm the situation before it gets out of hand,” the source said.

He said he believed that the proposal was being made known to the government Sunday.

Some independent analysts cautioned, however, that because of Paul’s power, it would be difficult to remove him without widespread concurrence among the military leadership. One foreigner who has monitored Haitian affairs for decades said that military officers are unlikely to turn against one of their own.