The regime of Jean Bertrand Aristide, the former priest who holds power in Haiti has entered a "diversion which becomes more serious each day" that doesn't bear any resemblance to the original 1991 mandate. There is "a tendency for and astounding, intolerable despotism" This "diversion" is "relentless, definitive and impossible to undo" The person who states these words is Christophe Wargny, a French historian and journalism lecturer who was advisor to the Haitian Head of State until 1996 (the end of Aristide's first term). Last October, Wargny observed that fundamental freedoms are not respected at all. Months before, Haitian priests and former colleagues of Aristide, said the same thing using different words. In May, on the occasion of Father Antoine Adrien's funeral ceremony (who Arisitide considered as his own father), priest William Smart spoke against "passion for absolute power". Father Max Dominique expressed his "disappointment" and insisted on "acts committed by the police and groups of bandits". In reality, observers both within Haiti and outside, note the general deterioration of the situation in the country on the eve of the bicentenary of its independence. Persistent political blockade. The Caribbean country is experiencing a democratic transition which is systematically hindered. A document about the situation in Haiti published this year by the United Nations emphasised that democracy "is deteriorating", with a new series of crises caused by electoral problems since 1997. The legislative elections of 2000 have not been resolved, since they were condemned as "fraudulent" by the opposition, particularly by the collation for Democratic Convergence. Attempts by the "Organization of American States" (OAS) to "resolve" this electoral crisis did not come up with a solution. Over 20 assignments failed. A second resolution on the crisis (822) was voted on by the OAS en Sept 2002, ahead of the 2003 legislative elections. But a year after the resolution vote took place, the OAS' Head Haitian Mission, David Lee, could not state that "sufficient provision have been taken by the government concerning (amongst other things) security and impunity". He underlined that "other players continued insisting" in respect to certain points before "moving towards the Provisional Electoral Council". Increase in offences This situation has caused strong polarization and intolerance which nourish permanent political and social tension, where human rights are systematically violated, starting with freedom of expression. In an April statement, the Group of Action and Reflection for Press Freedom (GARPF) said over the last three years "Tens of journalists and newspaper staff of different ages have been murdered, maltreated, arrested, threatened or forced into exile" Relating to other cases, never-a-day passes without the report of an offence by groups that defend human rights. Last March, a statement made by Puerto-Principe Catholic Church's Commission for Justice and Peace revealed that 117 people disappeared or were murdered in the capital in 4 months. In the statement, the Commision specified that amongst the victims were young people kidnapped by police officers, parents executed in front of their children, shopkeepers murdered while working, pupils and even children were killed. Politicized police? On too many occasions, it has been revealed that the police were involved in crimes. IN a statement published in September, the National Coalition for the Rights of Haitians (NCRH) reported the phenomenal return of "attachés" (bandits working with the police). The NCRH indicated for example, that the "Delmas 33" police station, situated in the outskirts of Puerto-Príncipe is a shelter for these bandits. The statement went on to say that they operate during the night, specializing in sexual violence, robbery, torture, summary execution, disappearances and kidnappings; all acting in complicity with the police. The government very quickly denied NCRH's report. But at the beginning of November when the UN expert Louis Joinet made a trip to Haiti, he discovered elements confirming the existence of a "parallel police" and ordered its dissolution. Louis Joinet realized that "the State impunity substituted democracy" Human rights organizations revealed their "concern" about the fact that the police abandoned their mission to "protect and serve" citizens, rather becoming a "politicized" body, tied up in government interests. This became apparent when Jean Robert Faveur, a police General Director resigned on 21st June and fled in exile to the US, less than a month after he took up the post. In his resignation letter, he condemned the Executive's attempt for absolute control and failure to respect rules. Facing social-political opposition The police are deeply implicated in the violent break-up of anit-government demonstrations in different towns around the country. Various times the police have arrived to support the government's violent followers who have publically declared that they will not accept any anti- Aristide protest. This comes at a very difficult time for the government who, over the last few months, face an increase in protest by various dissatisfied sectors of the population. A recent case is the aborted gathering of Group 184 on 14/11/2003 (so called to group together 183 private sector associations and citizen associations from various sectors). Thousands of people from different social backgrounds responded to the call from Group 184, to express their unhappiness at the Aristide Administration's methods of running the country. Government supporters arrived and threw stones at the participants, while the police maintained a passive presence. Rather than controlling the aggressors, the police used teargas to break up the demonstration and proceeded to arrest 30 members of Group 184's stewards. Similarly, on 29th October a group of government supporters violently obstructed a protest of various Haitian civil organisations, which was taking place in front of the Palace of Justice to condemn the climate of violence. The pro-Aristide groups tried to physically assault the participants. They threw stones, bottles and other objects at the demonstrators, promising to "cut of their heads and burn down their houses". The principle slogan of the protest, whose participants were mainly women from the National Coordination for the Empowerment of Women (the acronym CONAP in French) was "Failing to hear, see or talk is not a solution". The protest condemned crime, oppression and corruption in Haiti. Women's movements and student groups have just the same experience. On the 22nd October, after abandoning a demonstration of opposition supporters, Aristide followers attacked the Ethnology Faculty where students shouted hostile slogans at the powers. The same violent method was also used to try and quieten demonstrators in Gonaives (south-central). According to figures from various sources, since the end of September over 15 people have been killed and 30 more have been injured in gunfire during antigovernment protests. En Gonaives, former Aristide supporters changed sides after the terrible murder of Amiot Métayer. He was one of the president's loyal collaborators who, on 17th December 2001, led violent operations against opposition supporters when the government announced an attempted coup. The Head of State was accused of being personally responsible for Métayer's murder. A similar case took place one month later in Cité Soleil, a poor area in the north of the capital. The eve of the bicentenary. On the eve of Haiti's bicentenary (1st Jan 2004), Aristide speaks of "reparation and restitution" of money paid by Haiti in the 19th century to France, the imperial power, in recognition of independence. But these words from a government with serious credibility problems, does not seem to break, at national level, the apparent progressive isolation of the Aristide administration. In the streets, the people are asking the powers what they have done to try and improve the lives of the population because, as well as the abuses, there has been a constant fall in production levels (-1.2%), a permanently high level of unemployment (50% according to the UN) an increase in the cost of living along with currency devaluation (from 26 gourdes to the dollar in Aug 2002 to 45 gourdes to the dollar in Feb 2003) From the beginning of October to date, over 200 intellectuals signed a petition condemning the position of the government as it tries to "find legitimacy" through the bicentennial celebrations. Non-governmental organisations and groups from the popular movement have set up a platform for an alternative celebration. The objective is to "relaunch popular struggles to achieve a real independence" without "domination, exploitation, impunity or freedom violations". Gotson Pierre. AlterPresse/Puerto Principe.