TIME TO SWITCH REVOLUTIONS:
President Préval's chance to govern<>/a> (Miami Herald, 6/08/06)
Haitian President René Préval's new cabinet is a heartening sign of a break with the winner-take-all tradition of Haitian politics. In one of his first significant moves, he has named members of five opposition parties to work with him. That's a positive effort to unify a nation splintered by warring political factions for far too long. The multi-party cabinet and Mr. Préval's 25-year development plan provide a measure of hope for a nation that has been on the brink of anarchy. But the true test will come as they set about the task of governing.
That's particularly the case for five former ministers brought back into office by Mr. Préval, including Prime Minister JacquesEdouard Alexis, and opposition cabinet members. Their job is to look out for the greater good, not just for a political party or other narrow interest. Now is their chance to show that Haiti can be set on the road to an independent, prosperous, well-functioning and inclusive democracy.
The new government needs to focus on improving Haiti's security, economy and governance.
In other words, they'd be starting from scratch if there weren't so many extant social pathologies.
Posted by Orrin Judd at June 8, 2006 9:33 AM
