Two important Dominican-Haitian meetings will take place in Santo Domingo today. Former Venezuelan President, Carlos Andres Perez, will lead discussions between rival Haitian political factions. Since the parliamentary elections held last May 21, Haiti has been wracked by political turmoil, with the opposition charging fraud against the Lavalas family, which was reported to have gained 80% of the vote. Andres Perez will meet with former Port-au-Prince mayor, Evans Paul, and his supporters. In 1991, as sitting President of Venezuela, Andres Perez received Haitian President, Jean Bertrand Aristide, in Caracas after he was deposed in a military coup. A second meeting brings Peter Romero, American Deputy Under-Secretary of State for Latin America, face to face with Dominican and Haitian officials to discuss the external debts of the two nations. A proposal, which first surfaced six years ago, during the ?Dominican Week in the United States? seminar, to convert the debts into a bi-national development fund is under discussion. Dominican and Haitian economists, lawyers and business executives will attend. The DR?s debt with the U.S. in around $3 billion, and that of Haiti around $1.2 billion, and the idea of forgiveness is gaining supporters in Washington, D.C. and at the World Bank. The European Union, whose members also carry DR and Haitian debts on their books, has expressed interest in the plan and will be represented at the meetings. There are no new developments in the case of the seven policemen in Santo Domingo, and two others in the Dominican embassy in Port-au-Prince who have sought political asylum. President Hipolito Mejia must make a decision concerning their request and that of the Haitian government for their repatriation.
