Entered into the database on Wednesday, September 14th, 2005 @ 11:14:35 MST
Editor's Note: Since the U.S. re-invasion of Haiti and coup
d'etat in the kidnapping of democratically-elected Jean-Bertrand Aristide via
U.S. Marines, the valiant Haitian people have not stopped fighting the occupation
of their country. The U.S. arrest and imprisonment of Gerard Jean-Juste and
now the barring him his candidacy for president of Haiti in coming elections
again exposes the hypocracy of the United States. The Haitian people have learned
and their struggle to throw off the shackles of global corporate empire continues.
- Les Blough, Editor from BBCNews The party of ousted Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide has been
barred from registering a jailed Catholic priest as its presidential candidate.
Gerard Jean-Juste was arrested two months ago on suspicion of involvement in
the murder of journalist Jacques Roche. He denies the accusations. The Lavalas Family party said it would challenge the ban in court and warned
it could boycott the November poll. The party's participation is seen as key because of its widespread
support. Mr Aristide - who is in exile since being ousted in 2004 - still has
many supporters, particularly in the poorer areas of the capital, Port-au-Prince.
'Unconstitutional' Hundreds of his supporters tried to march to the electoral council on Tuesday,
to back Mr Jean-Juste's candidacy, but were stopped by UN peacekeepers and Haitian
police. The Lavalas Family party was told by the electoral authorities that the jailed
priest had to register his candidacy in person. But Louis Gerard Gilles - a former senator - said the electoral council had
no authority to stop the registration. "Nothing in the constitution requires he should be present in person,"
Mr Gilles said. The party says Mr Jean-Juste's detention is an attempt to keep it from taking
part in the elections, Haiti's first since Mr Aristide was ousted in February
2004. Mr Jean-Juste has not been charged and says he was in Miami at the time of
the killing. Haiti has been riven by gang warfare and political violence, especially in
Port-au-Prince, where supporters and opponents of the exiled Mr Aristide regularly
fight bloody battles
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4245146.stm
