jmg@sftig.UUCP (J.McGhee) (02/11/86)
*** REPLACE THIS DICTATOR WITH YOUR VOTE *** > February 7, 1986 is glorious day for all Haitians, and for all champions > of the cause of justice. Today, Jean-Claude Duvalier, so-called > President for Life of the Rupublic of Haiti, fled ignominously > from the country that woke up to scream its disgust at having been raped > and pillaged for 28 years, 4 months and 15 days. > > So rejoice, rejoice. We can all, finally, with "all God's children, join > in the old Negro spiritual and sing 'Free at Last, Free at last, Thank God > Almighty, We're Free at Last!'" > -- > Marcel-Franck Simon ihnp4!{mhuxr, hl3b5b}!mfs > > " Anye' Ro, Ago, Ago " > " Duvalier tombe'!!!!!! " Since nobody else has said it yet, let me say I share the jubilation of the Haitian people in their new-found freedom, and their disappointment that 'Baby Doc' has not been tried for his crimes against his people as six ex-presidents and many others were tried and convicted in Argentina and as secret police officials are now being rounded-up in Guatemala. The Haitian people will need to keep constantly vigilant to prevent the accumulation of power by yet another dictator. The main question on my mind at the moment is whether anyone is holding any airline tickets to Switzerland/Spanish Morocco/Timbuktu for "president-for-life" Ferdinand Marcos. In spite of the fact that election observers Lugar and Kerry of the U.S. Congress have returned with the most negative report possible, Ronald Reagan still seems to find something good to say about Marcos. Marcos is using murder, bribery and goon squads to try to steal this election away from the Phillipine people. Meanwhile in London, the British government is trying to abolish the Greater London Council which has been very popular with Londoners and has enriched the cultural life of the city. What's the government's reason for trying to scuttle the GLC? Well, they want to get rid of one man, Ken Livingstone, the chairman of the GLC. Why? Because he has been outspoken in condemning the continuing British presence in northern Ireland. It seems they have been completely unsuccessful in getting him voted out of office - you know by the "democratic process", so they have to resort to "undemocratic" means. Some weeks ago the press was filled with reports of the resignation of northern Ireland loyalists over the latest London-Dublin agreements. The loyalists decided that they would put on a display of political muscle. In fact, the political power of the loyalists has been waning as nationalists have become more politically astute. The British government realized what a blunder the loyalists had made and tried use some of its own muscle in the British Army and Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) to stop the progress of nationalist candidates in the election. Eighteen top Sinn Fein party leaders were arrested and lists of voters and district contacts were confiscated by the RUC and army as "material likely to be useful to terrorists". Only two of the 18 arrested were charged with any crime. Owen Carron was charged with possession of a firearm which was in a building which he drove past in his car. This is known as "guilt by proximity" ;-). Seamus Cassidy was charged with possession of an "explosive substance" for having a flare. This type of evidence is not intended to stand up in court but keep the candidates off the streets during the campaign. Other candidates in County Tyrone were detained at a roadside checkpoint as they were on their way to submit a last minute candidacy application at the local board of elections. They were told by RUC that they would be held until the board of elections deadline expired. Sinn Fein election workers were the target of beatings and death threats by the RUC and the British Army during the campaign. When the results of the election were finally announced, the loyalists had lost another of their remaining 15 seats to Seamus Mallon of the SDLP (Social Democratic Labor Party). Mallon is the one man in the SDLP who most nearly agrees with the views and policies of Sinn Fein and there is some evidence that Sinn Fein voters crossed party lines to vote for Mallon, realizing that Mallon had that greatest chance of winning the seat from the loyalist candidate. Another aspect of this election was that a large number of loyalist voters destroyed or invalidated their ballots to show their disgust with loyalist candidates. Nationalists are eagerly awaiting the next display of political strength by the loyalists. "These people know nothing of democracy." - Margaret Thatcher