RESOLUTION B3-0194 and 0201/93

Resolution on human rights and the situation in Haiti

The European Parliament,

A.having regard to the mission to assess the consequences of the crisis carried out by a delegation from the ACP-EEC Joint Assembly between 9 and 11 December 1992,

B.deeply concerned by the persistence and the worsening of the political, economic and social crisis in the country since the coup d'état of 29 September 1991, in which President Aristide, who had been lawfully elected by direct universal suffrage, was overthrown,

C.condemning the repression and the numerous human rights violations perpetrated by the coup's supporters,

D.noting that, despite the pressure exerted by the international community, including an embargo and the de facto diplomatic isolation of the Haitian Government, the situation remains at a standstill,

E.alarmed at the plight of the boat people who, risking their lives, try, unfortunately in vain, to flee misery and exploitation for a country of asylum, often only to be turned back,

F.stressing the importance of the role played by the Haitian and foreign NGOs in both the humanitarian and social fields,

1.Reaffirms its solidarity with the people of Haiti and expresses its condolences to the families of the victims;

2.Emphasizes the increasingly clear divide separating the real country and a certain section of the ruling class totally out-of-step with social realities, and warns against the political risks involved in allowing this type of situation to continue;

3.Points out that, for the people of Haiti, President Aristide is the symbol of an age-old struggle against oppression and dictatorship;

4.Asserts its solidarity with the Haitian people who are the victims of the coup and are struggling for the restoration of democracy and their rights;

5.Notes that all the attempted solutions devised by the coup leaders have failed because they ignored the will of the Haitian people expressed during the December 1990 elections;

6.Welcomes the determination shown by the Haitian people who, by refusing to take part in sham parliamentary by-elections, inflicted another defeat on the de facto government by refusing to accord it any legitimacy;

7.Is convinced that no solution can be found to the crisis unless all parties recognize Father Aristide as the legitimate President;

8.Is convinced, furthermore, of the absolute necessity for representatives of all political, economic and social groups to show that they are willing to compromise to reach a negotiated solution involving the return of President Aristide and the restoration of democracy;

9.Considers that the principles laid down in the Washington protocol signed by President Aristide and parliamentary representatives in February 1992, i.e.:

-recognition of Father Aristide as the legitimate President,

-the appointment by the President of a Prime Minister chosen from among the candidates put forward by Parliament,

-the formation of a government of national unity,

-the determination of the procedures and the date for the return of President Aristide,

-respect of the Constitution and above all of the principle of the separation of powers,

-a general amnesty, excluding non-political prisoners,

should serve as the basis for negotiations;

10.Calls on the international community and, in particular, the European Community, to step up diplomatic pressure on the de facto authorities in Haiti in order to force them into negotiations on the procedures for a return to constitutional democracy;

11.Welcomes, with a view to these negotiations, the recent decision to send 500 delegates from the United Nations and the OAS to monitor the respect of fundamental rights;

12.Calls on the Commission to draw up an overall plan of financial and technical support for the work of the NGOs, which goes beyond strictly humanitarian considerations to take in social issues (health, education, training, support for village communities, etc.);

13.Looks to President Clinton's administration to adopt a more human, more generous attitude towards Haitian emigrants;

14.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments of the Member States, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the Secretary-General of the OAS and the United States Government.