As a side-bar, the Obama Admin supports President Martelly and Jovenel Moises, the banana exporter and the political successor to Martelly. And, of course, the US alleges coup leader, a former Senator, Guy Philippe, (above on left) is into cocaine smuggling. (r.a. note)
TeleSUR News Posted Mon., Jan.25, 2016
Former coup leader Guy Philippe threatened Sunday to “divide the country” in a war against an interim government if it were set up according to the will of opposition sectors. They fear President Michel Martelly could prolong his term in office beyond the Feb. 7 due date.
“We are ready for war,” said the former senator (also former police officer), who has an arrest warrant out against him issued by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency over alleged cocaine smuggling and money laundering, and was accused by Human Rights Watch of overseeing extra-judicial killings.
“I call on my supporters and my soldiers across the country to get ready,” he added. Philippe enjoys some popularity in his southern region of Grande-Anse and led the 2004 coup that overthrew then President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.
Philippe said his region will refuse to implement decisions coming from the capital Port-au-Prince, if made by a transitional government.
Earlier on Saturday, thousands of Haitians demonstrated to demand the resignation of Martelly and Prime Minister Evans Paul, as well as the formation of an interim government by Feb.7.
“We haven’t organized this protest so that there won’t be elections, but rather to make sure the votes are controlled and there is a real winner,” one protestor told teleSUR.
“We are protesting so that President Martelly and the prime minster resign, because they have done so much damage to the country, and now we are tired of it all … We’ll protest until the end so that another group of people organize these elections and there can be stability in the country.
When Martelly leaves there will be peace in the country,” another protestor told teleSUR at the demonstration. “Martelly believes the country is for himself and his family, we want him to go,” an unemployed man told Reuters.
The day before, electoral authorities had agreed to postpone the election less than 48 hours before polling stations were supposed to open.
The decision came amid serious allegations about systematic fraud in favor of Jovenel Moises, the banana exporter and political successor of current president Michel Martelly.
Jovenel then called for a quick re-scheduling of the vote.
On Sunday, his supporters, who wanted the vote to take place as planned, protested for the first time in Port-au-Prince, while opposition sectors demonstrated in a different area of the capital.
