Rebel leader says he will run for president in Haiti

July 12, 2005

One of the leaders of last year's overthrow of President Aristide in Haiti, Guy Philippe, now says that he will participate in the upcoming elections as a presidential candidate. The leader will run for the party of his guerilla army, the Front for National Reconstruction (FRN). He says that the elections are important for creating a legitimate democratic government in the state of Haiti, and that he believes he is the best leader to move the country forward. Philippe made the announcement via a Port-au-Prince radio station, the dominate form of media in the nation.

Giving an interview, Philippe spoke on several issues believed to be important to the upcoming elections. Philippe criticized the interim government of President Boniface Alexandre and Prime Minister Gerard Latortue, which he sees as illegitimate because it does not answer to anyone. He also criticized the electoral council, which is appointed by the government, as being a puppet department. The council, he says, has been too slow in setting up operating registration offices and that the mobile registration offices have not been arriving to districts with low registration. He also recommended that voters do not sell their consciousness. Philippe refers to the habit of political parties to send people to exchange money for a promise to vote for their candidate on election day.