MEDIA REACTION - HAITI: ELECTIONS

UNCLAS SANTIAGO 000295 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR R/MR, I/PP, WHA/BSC, WHA/PDA, INR/IAA, PM, INL STATE FOR INR/R/MR E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KMDR KPAO OPRC CI HA SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION - HAITI: ELECTIONS ¶1. On February 8, in "Chilevisisn's" prime-time newscast, international analyst Raul Sohr said: ¶2. "The number of people who went to vote in Haiti was a surprise for all the world...this is a great victory for the United Nations, that organized the process... Ren Preval seems to have won the elections... In Haiti things change to remain the same, since Preval was Jean Bertrand Aristide's former mentor...Chile has a tremendous commitment in Haiti. In June, Chile's Congress must re-evaluate the presence of its peacekeeping forces in that country. It seems to me it would be a great mistake to remain indefinitely in Haiti.... In December alone, there were more than 300 kidnappings.... If they want to control their future, Haitians must learn to regulate their own police and their own institutions.... The only thing the continued presence of the UN does is to support the permanent 'assistancialism' to which Haitians have been accustomed for so long." KELLY