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Sout
h Africa has joined the Caribbean Economic Community (Caricom),
in calling for a United Nations sanctioned probe into circumstances
leading to the departure of ousted Haitian President Jean-Bertrand
Aristide. Foreign Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said if
proven that Mr Aristide was "pushed out of office," the incident
would have serious consequences for international law and democracy
in the world. "The suggestion that President Aristide may have been
forced out of office, if true, will have serious consequences and
ramifications for the respect of the rule of law and democracy the
world over," said Dlamini-Zuma She said the international community
should not be seen to be wavering in its commitment to democracy
and the respect for the rule of law, particularly in the face of
anti-democratic forces. The Minister's comments come after the
Carisocm Heads of Government, meeting in Kingston, Jamaica, earlier
this week, released a statement calling for a probe under the
auspices of the United Nations (UN) to deal with the circumstances
of Aristide's departure. "They (Caricom heads of government)
expressed the view that the circumstances under which the President
demitted office set a dangerous precedent for democratically
elected governments everywhere as it promotes the unconstitutional
removal of duly elected persons from office," the Caricom statement
said.
The probe would seek to verify whether Aristide's comments in media
reports were true, when he was quoted as saying he was forced to
leave his crisis-ridden country by the US. However, the US
authorities have vehemently denied the assertion that he was
pushed. Dlamini-Zuma also expressed concern about the slow response
of the UN Security Council to pleas for assistance in this regard
from the government of Haiti. "The UNSC should remain true to its
mandate of being an organ for the collective security for all and
therefore respond timeously to conflict situations with a view to
the restoration of peace and stability," said Dlamini-Zuma.
The minister said South Africa stood ready to support Caricom in
its efforts to assist the people of Haiti to return to
constitutional democracy, rebuild democratic institutions and
restore peace and stability. – BuaNews.
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