Senators demand Haiti PM resign over food riots
By Jim Loney and Joseph Guyler Delva
PORT-AU-PRINCE, April 10 (Reuters) - Taxis, vendors and shoppers returned to the debris-strewn streets of the Haitian capital on Thursday after the president appealed for an end to food riots but the government came under fire from opposition politicians for not doing enough.
In a letter signed by 16 of Haiti's 27 senators, the opposition demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Jacques Edouard Alexis after a week of violent demonstrations against the cost of living in which at least five people were killed.
The riots, which began in the south of the poorest country in the Americas and spread to Port-au-Prince on Monday, pitted tear gas- and rubber bullet-firing U.N. peacekeepers against thousands of hungry Haitians enraged over the high price of rice, beans and other food staples.
Barricades of burning tires and wrecked cars that had paralyzed the capital were dismantled, sporadic looting eased and crowds around the National Palace dispersed after President Rene Preval ordered the rioting to stop on Wednesday.
Preval promised to boost national production of food to reduce the Caribbean country's dependence on imports, but many protesters said they wanted action now and were disappointed he had not cut taxes on foodstuffs
"The proposals of the president, as good as they may be for the future of the country, do not solve the immediate problems of the population," said the letter, signed by Youri Latortue, a nephew of a former prime minister, and members of a host of opposition parties. No one from Preval's Lespwa party signed.
"Too little, too late. That's the feeling that your proposals have provoked. It is obvious that the majority of the people don't believe any more in the capacity of your government to take courageous measures to ease the misery that the population is facing daily," the senators wrote.
The vast majority of Haitians live on less than $2 per day and the country is haunted by decades of dictatorship, oppression and economic mayhem.
High fuel prices, which have made transportation more expensive, rising demand in Asia, the use of farmland and crops for biofuels, a long drought in Australia and speculation on futures markets have combined to push up food prices worldwide. There have been outbreaks of unrest in several poor countries.
TAP-TAPS AND FRIED PLANTAINS
Despite the dissatisfaction, Preval's appeal for an end to the mayhem was followed by an uneasy calm in Port-au-Prince.
There were no reports of violence early on Thursday and there was a little more life in the rock- and glass-covered streets of the sprawling and chaotic city of uncertain millions.
Colorful pick-up truck "tap-tap" taxis circulated again, a change from the past couple of days when the capital's streets were abandoned to rioting mobs.
Street vendors, who had disappeared while thousands of demonstrators hurled rocks at U.N. peacekeepers and Haitian police, returned to the curbsides to sell fried plantains and pork.
Security was heavy. Armored personnel carriers manned by some of the 9,000 U.N. peacekeepers and civilian police in Haiti lined major roads and intersections. U.N. troops used tear gas two days in a row to prevent protesters from storming the opulent National Palace.
Some demonstrators warned protests could break out again.
The opposition senators who signed the letter sent to Preval and Alexis gave the prime minister 24 hours to quit or face a no-confidence vote in the Senate.
There are 30 seats in Haiti's Senate but three are empty because two senators were removed for violations of eligibility requirements and one died. (Writing by Michael Christie; Editing by Patricia Zengerle) (For more stories on global food price rises, please see here)
PORT-AU-PRINCE, April 10 (Reuters) - Taxis, vendors and shoppers returned to the debris-strewn streets of the Haitian capital on Thursday after the president appealed for an end to food riots but the government came under fire from opposition politicians for not doing enough.
In a letter signed by 16 of Haiti's 27 senators, the opposition demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Jacques Edouard Alexis after a week of violent demonstrations against the cost of living in which at least five people were killed.
The riots, which began in the south of the poorest country in the Americas and spread to Port-au-Prince on Monday, pitted tear gas- and rubber bullet-firing U.N. peacekeepers against thousands of hungry Haitians enraged over the high price of rice, beans and other food staples.
Barricades of burning tires and wrecked cars that had paralyzed the capital were dismantled, sporadic looting eased and crowds around the National Palace dispersed after President Rene Preval ordered the rioting to stop on Wednesday.
Preval promised to boost national production of food to reduce the Caribbean country's dependence on imports, but many protesters said they wanted action now and were disappointed he had not cut taxes on foodstuffs
"The proposals of the president, as good as they may be for the future of the country, do not solve the immediate problems of the population," said the letter, signed by Youri Latortue, a nephew of a former prime minister, and members of a host of opposition parties. No one from Preval's Lespwa party signed.
"Too little, too late. That's the feeling that your proposals have provoked. It is obvious that the majority of the people don't believe any more in the capacity of your government to take courageous measures to ease the misery that the population is facing daily," the senators wrote.
The vast majority of Haitians live on less than $2 per day and the country is haunted by decades of dictatorship, oppression and economic mayhem.
High fuel prices, which have made transportation more expensive, rising demand in Asia, the use of farmland and crops for biofuels, a long drought in Australia and speculation on futures markets have combined to push up food prices worldwide. There have been outbreaks of unrest in several poor countries.
TAP-TAPS AND FRIED PLANTAINS
Despite the dissatisfaction, Preval's appeal for an end to the mayhem was followed by an uneasy calm in Port-au-Prince.
There were no reports of violence early on Thursday and there was a little more life in the rock- and glass-covered streets of the sprawling and chaotic city of uncertain millions.
Colorful pick-up truck "tap-tap" taxis circulated again, a change from the past couple of days when the capital's streets were abandoned to rioting mobs.
Street vendors, who had disappeared while thousands of demonstrators hurled rocks at U.N. peacekeepers and Haitian police, returned to the curbsides to sell fried plantains and pork.
Security was heavy. Armored personnel carriers manned by some of the 9,000 U.N. peacekeepers and civilian police in Haiti lined major roads and intersections. U.N. troops used tear gas two days in a row to prevent protesters from storming the opulent National Palace.
Some demonstrators warned protests could break out again.
The opposition senators who signed the letter sent to Preval and Alexis gave the prime minister 24 hours to quit or face a no-confidence vote in the Senate.
There are 30 seats in Haiti's Senate but three are empty because two senators were removed for violations of eligibility requirements and one died. (Writing by Michael Christie; Editing by Patricia Zengerle) (For more stories on global food price rises, please see here)
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